Note 121 — CABINET CYCLOPÆDIA. (continued 6)

Two hours and a half after sunset. The Italian day of twenty-four hours ends at dark, i. e. half an hour after sunset; and then they begin one, two; but as they often say, one o'clock after noon, two o'clock alter noon, so they designate these evening hours as hours of night. This method of counting time is still practised by the common people in Italy, south of the Apennines; and, indeed, by every one of all ranks at Naples and Rome. Our mode of counting time is called by the Italians, French time, as it was first introduced after the conquests of Napoleon. It is often puzzling to hear of fourteen or fifteen o'clock,—it is necessary to remember the season of the year, and the hour of sunset, and how far that is off. On this occasion, the 31st of December, the second hour of night was about half after six o'clock P. M.; the sun setting at about four in December, in Italy.