a quarter to eight
Nothing of any importance happened , either on that day or the next , except that the sky gradually became overspread with those peculiar patches of fleece-like clouds called `` trade-clouds '' -- showing that at length we had hit off the north-east trade winds that seemed to have been evading us for so long . According to my reckoning , and upon the assumption that the wind would now hold fairly steady , we ought to hit off the track of the boats about six bells in the morning watch , on the third morning after the capture of the schooner , which would allow us some eleven hours of daylight in which to prosecute our search ; and , to give ourselves the best possible chance of finding the objects of our quest , I took care , on the preceding midnight , to haul the schooner as close to the wind as she would lie , so that there should be no possibility of hitting upon their track to leeward instead of to windward of them , and so running _ away _ from instead of _ after _ them . And at six bells on that morning I was called , in accordance with previous instructions , in order that I might work up the reckoning to the very last moment , and so make certain of getting as accurately as possible upon the track . My calculations now showed that it would be nearly eight bells instead of six before we should reach the imaginary line for which we were making ; and at a quarter to eight -- having previously sent a hand aloft to take a careful look round -- I gave the order to up helm and bear away upon a west-south-west course , and to pack the studding-sails upon the little hooker . The men -- thanks to good feeding and all the rest I could give them consistent with the maintenance of proper discipline -- had by this time completely recovered from the effects of our boat voyage , and were one and all as keen as needles on the lookout for the boats from the moment that we squared away , the watch , all but the helmsman , taking to the rigging -- without any orders from me -- immediately that they had finished breakfast , and disposing themselves upon the royal and topgallant yards in their eagerness to catch the earliest possible glimpse of their shipmates . I calculated that at about five bells in the forenoon watch we ought to overtake the dinghy , -- the slowest boat in the fleet , -- and as that moment drew near our anxiety reached a most painful pitch , the men on the yards straining their eyes to the utmost as they peered intently into the distance from right ahead to broad on either beam , carefully and slowly scanning the horizon for the little blot of gleaming canvas that should proclaim the success of our quest . But the fateful moment came and went , leaving the horizon a blank .