midnight
I have heard of their seizing persons standing on the shore , where the water was deep enough to let them swim close in ; and Spot tells of a messmate of his , on one of his voyages in a whaler , who was carried off , while standing entirely out of water , on the carcass of a whale , which he was assisting in cutting up , as it lay alongside the ship . The shark threw himself upon the carcass , five or six yards from where the man was busy ; -- worked himself slowly along the slippery surface , until within reach of his victim ; knocked him off into the water , and then sliding off himself , seized and devoured him . '' Picking my way carefully among the sleepers , who covered the bottom of the yawl , I sat down beside Browne in the stern , intending to share the remainder of his watch . It was now long past midnight ; fragments of light clouds were scattered over the sky , frequently obscuring the moon ; and the few stars that were visible , twinkled faintly with a cold and distant light . The Southern Cross , by far the most brilliant constellation of that hemisphere , was conspicuous among the clusters of feebler luminaries . Well has it been called `` the glory of the southern skies . '' Near the zenith , and second only to the Cross in brilliancy , appeared the Northern Crown , consisting of seven large stars , so disposed as to form the outline of two-thirds of an oval .