eight
o'clock
He is not deemed company at any time for the captain , though the chief mate occasionally is , at least deck-company , though not in the cabin ; and besides this , the second mate has to breakfast , lunch , dine , and sup off the leavings of the cabin table , and even the steward , who is accountable to nobody but the captain , sometimes treats him cavalierly ; and he has to run aloft when topsails are reefed ; and put his hand a good way down into the tar-bucket ; and keep the key of the boatswain 's locker , and fetch and carry balls of marline and seizing-stuff for the sailors when at work in the rigging ; besides doing many other things , which a true-born baronet of any spirit would rather die and give up his title than stand . Having been divided into watches we were sent to supper ; but I could not eat any thing except a little biscuit , though I should have liked to have some good tea ; but as I had no pot to get it in , and was rather nervous about asking the rough sailors to let me drink out of theirs ; I was obliged to go without a sip . I thought of going to the black cook and begging a tin cup ; but he looked so cross and ugly then , that the sight of him almost frightened the idea out of me . When supper was over , for they never talk about going to tea aboard of a ship , the watch to which I belonged was called on deck ; and we were told it was for us to stand the first night watch , that is , from eight o'clock till midnight . I now began to feel unsettled and ill at ease about the stomach , as if matters were all topsy-turvy there ; and felt strange and giddy about the head ; and so I made no doubt that this was the beginning of that dreadful thing , the sea-sickness . Feeling worse and worse , I told one of the sailors how it was with me , and begged him to make my excuses very civilly to the chief mate , for I thought I would go below and spend the night in my bunk . But he only laughed at me , and said something about my mother not being aware of my being out ; which enraged me not a little , that a man whom I had heard swear so terribly , should dare to take such a holy name into his mouth .