two o'clock in the morning
The breeze freshened considerably , and , unfortunately for us , hailed from the northwest . Although we carried no topsails at all , the ship seemed to heel over more than ever . Most of the passengers had retired to their cabins , but all the crew remained on deck , while Curtis never quitted his post upon the poop . Toward two o'clock in the morning I was myself preparing to go to my cabin , when Burke , one of the sailors who had been down into the hold , came on deck with the cry : `` Two feet of water below . '' In an instant Curtis and the boatswain had descended the ladder . The startling news was only too true ; the sea-water was entering the hold , but whether the leak had sprung afresh , or whether the caulking in some of the seams was insufficient , it was then impossible to determine ; all that could be done was to let the ship go with the wind , and wait for day . At daybreak they sounded again -- `` Three feet of water ! ''