two o'clock
At length , however , when I had been adrift about half an hour , I got a chance to take a fairly long look to windward at a moment when the longboat was hove up on the crest of an unusually lofty wave ; but the ship was nowhere to be seen ; nor did I again catch sight of her , or even of the raft ; and the only conclusion at which I could arrive was that she had gone down and taken all hands with her . But , in such a mountainous sea as was then running , the horizon of a person in a boat is naturally very restricted , and I knew that , although I had failed to catch a glimpse of either the wreck or the raft , the latter at least might be afloat , and my plain duty was to remain in the neighbourhood so long as there was any chance of falling in with it ; I therefore watched my opportunity and , seizing a favourable moment , wore the boat round on the other tack and , again bringing her to the wind , went back as nearly over the ground I had already traversed as was possible . But although I kept a sharp look-out , and wore round every half-hour , I saw nothing , no , not even so much as a fragment of floating wreckage , to indicate what had actually happened ; nor did I ever hear of any of my late crew being picked up . It was about four bells -- two o'clock -- in the afternoon watch when I last saw the wreck ; and I beat about , remaining as near the spot as I could , until sunset . Then , having failed to fall in with or sight either the wreck or the raft , I came to the conclusion that I had seen the last of my mutinous crew , and that the time had arrived when I was quite justified in abandoning any further effort to find them , and might look after my own safety . The weather , by this time , had improved very considerably ; the wind had been slowly but steadily moderating , and the sea , although still tremendously high , was not now breaking dangerously ; the sky also had cleared and was without a cloud ; there was therefore every prospect of a fine night , with a further steady improvement of the weather ; the boat was no longer dangerously pressed by the amount of canvas that she was carrying , and I felt that I need be under no immediate apprehension regarding the future . Moreover my clothes had by this time dried upon my body , and I felt quite warm and comfortable .