Smyrna times., 1875-10-20

grees, or quarter circumference, above
west of New York, it is sixty minutes earlier
than with us, or eleven o'clock when it is
twelve here, and ship circumnavigating
the globe going westwardly thus gains on
apparent time Flaps over OH the next day.
four minutes for each of the three hundred
and sixty degrees of westing, or twenty-four
hours for the entire circuit of the earth.
In other words, going west, and keeping
her record of days from the day of the week
on which she starts, on arriving back at
her port on what to her is Monday, she
finds that it is Tuesday on shore, and she
must jump from Monday to Wednesday to
set herself right. Making the circuit east
wardly, the case is reversed, and arriving
from the west, it is Tuesday on her log, while
tomorrow is Tuesday to the boarding officer.
The ship then doubles Tuesday, and squares
her record.
But most seamen correct this seeming
error on passing the halfway point; i. e.,
on re lching the one-hundred-and-eightieth
degree west or east of their governing meri-
dian, day is dropped or repeated, and the
ship arrives without being in next week OF
last week, when she should be in this.
Landsmen's ignorance of these facts has
caused some amusing scenes on steamers
on the Pacific. Some twenty years ago the
Nes0 Orleans, the first passenger steamer
that ever crossed the Pacific Ocean, was on
| her way from San Francisco to Sydney with
load of gold-hunters, including some Pike
County men, whose nautical education was
limited. The purser had posted his usua
daily bulletin of latitude, longitude, anC
distance run since the previous noon-alway
an interesting episode in the history of day
on long voyage-dated, we'll say, Monday
the 10th. The nert day it stood Wednes
day, the 18th, the eone-hundred-and-eig -eightietl
degree having been passed meanwhile, anC
the intervening day duly dropped. Th
apparent blunder caught the eye of tn,
eager readers at once.
Halloo, purser, what's this? You'v
made mistake; you've dated this Wednes
day.
"'Yes, Sir; that's all right
"All right? Why, yesterday was Nor
day: here's your own bulletin up yet
"' Yes, Sir. That's right too"
"Right too? Where in thunders Tue
day?'
"' Knocked OUT
"Oh, come now, said Pike, on the lool
out for sailors tricks on green hands, 'th'
won't do. None of that with us. WI
ever heard of knocking day out of I'll
week q?
"Bets were finally made, to be settled
Sydney and when the pilot boarded ther
the papers showed the purser to be righ
and that it was the 10th, say, in Australi
, while Pike was day behind in his almana
On the return trip from Sydney to Panam
on reaching the one-hundred-and-eig
. degree, bulletins were posted Sunday, Il
, 5th,' and the next day the same. He
. was another fuss; the John Bulls on boa
. were especially disguised.
4 "All 'umbug! Two Sundays! The ca
V tain's very clever man, no doubt, b
. that won't do, you know. No Yank
tricks on usr
% "The captain insisted, with the intin
- ton that was the time when his note
! due, and he was ready to meet them.
you see, honest Jack has real time in
- mind, and means what he says when
promises to pay his debts if present
- where two Sundays come together"
; "Well," said Mrs. P, "the middle of {
Pacific Ocean is a good place to 60 il
- liquidation. ."-Harper's Weekly.