noon
The ground floor was fitted up with a fire-place , shelves all round the room , a rough deal table and two long benches , and had evidently been used as a general living-room . The place was wretchedly dirty , and on being inducted into it the first act of the men was to procure an abundance of soap and water , and set vigorously to work to give it a thorough cleansing . This occupied them all the morning . At noon a bell rang , which was the signal for all hands to knock off work and get their dinner , the messman of each gang going to the galley , a small building near the store , and drawing from the cook a sufficient quantity of food for the party to which he belonged . Bob , who with the carpenter had been duly liberated according to promise , cheerfully took upon himself the duties of messman for the party to which he belonged , and presenting himself with the others , he obtained without difficulty the wherewithal to set before our friends a very respectable meal . While they were at dinner , Lance tore a leaf out of his pocket-book and jotted down the various articles , such as bedding , crockery , and utensils of various kinds which they required , and on the completion of the list he hurried away with it to Johnson , who at once wrote at its foot an order to the storekeeper for the issue of the articles named . These were soon conveyed to the hut , and by sunset they had the place in very tolerable order .