Monday ANSWER
The answer is a traverse board. Tom�s answer was clever--he may have been joking using a play on words as he was flirting with the box but the answer was plenty enough to avoid it. Regardless, it is both accurate and a good description but not in the present day terminology. Ken�s answer was on target. I have but couldn�t locate my copy of Clavelle�s novel, but the net provided ample evidence that such an item could well have been described. Certainly the time period was right. Dan was spot on.
Google �Traverse Board� and you�ll get descriptions illustrations/pictures. Basically it consists of two sections. The top half consists of a circle with holes drilled at each of thirty two points of a compass rose. The directional points were carved into or painted on a board. There are eight concentric circles identified on the round section. There is a single drilled hole at each location on each of the points on each of the eight concentric circles. Each circle stands for � hour, 1/8 of a watch. At the sound of bells, the course followed, as dictated by the ships compass was indicated on the circle section by inserting a peg at the course direction and at what time on that watch. During the first � hour the first circle was used and so on until at the end of watch there should be eight pegs on the board with a single peg on each circle indicating a direction at what time. The bottom half of a traverse board has four rows vertical and a speed indicator of perhaps twenty or so holes spaced to indicate speed numbers and fractions. At each bell a log was tossed overboard and the number of knots passing through a given point for a specific time period was counted and recorded (usually a 28 second glass). For each hour of the watch the speed was recorded by a peg inserted on the bottom section of the board (for example 11 and 1/2 knots). At the end of a watch an officer recorded the information on the board and the pegs removed to start all over again.
A antique or a new personalized and decorated traverse board would be a terrific addition to any sailor's decor.