four
to eight o'clock
The crew are divided into watches , called the starboard and larboard , or port , watches ; the chief mate commands one , the second mate the other . While one watch is on duty the other goes below to sleep , or take their meals , except when all hands are wanted on deck . Every hour a bell is struck to show how time goes . Every four hours the watch is changed , except in the evening , from four to eight o'clock , when there are two watches , called dog-watches , that is to say , from four to six , one ; and from six to eight , another . The reason of this is that the people who are on watch at one time one night , may not be on watch the same time the next night , which they would be if there were six instead of seven watches , which you will find there are in the twenty-four hours . I used to be very glad when my first watch was over , and I was able to turn in from twelve to four , when I had to be up again to keep the morning watch . That was no idle time , for as soon as it was daylight we had to scrub and wash down decks , and to put everything in order for the day , just as housemaids put the house in order .