midday
The clouds continued to stream out on high , out of the west continually , racing and darkening all . A few yellow clefts remained , through which the sun shot its rays in volleys . And the now greenish water was striped more thickly with snowy froth . By midday the _ Marie _ was made completely snug for dirty weather : her hatches battened down , and her sails storm-reefed ; she bounded lightly and elastic ; for all the horrid confusion , she seemed to be playing like the porpoises , also amused in storms . With her foresail taken in , she simply scudded before the wind . It had become quite dark overhead , where stretched the heavily crushing vault . Studded with shapeless gloomy spots , it appeared a set dome , unless a steadier gaze ascertained that everything was in the full rush of motion ; endless gray veils were drawn along , unceasingly followed by others , from the profundities of the sky-line -- draperies of darkness , pulled from a never-ending roll .