noon
While this spirit was strong upon him he swore to anything . He not only admitted the truth of all that his tempter advanced , but entertained the seamen with a lively and graphic account of the running down of the Skylark , and entered into minute particulars -- chiefly of a comical nature -- with such recklessness that the cause of Mr Jones bade fair to resemble many a roast which is totally ruined by being overdone . Jones gave him a salutary check , however , on being landed next day at a certain town on the Kentish coast , so that when Billy was taken before the authorities , his statements were brought somewhat more into accord with those of his tempter . The wily Mr Jones went at once with Billy to the chief officer of the coast-guard on that station , and reported the loss of his vessel with much minuteness of detail -- to the effect that she had sailed from London at noon of a certain date , at the quarter ebb tide , the sky being cloudy and wind sou ' - west ; that the casualty occurred at five p.m. on the day following near the North Foreland Light , at half flood tide , the sky being cloudy and wind west-sou ' - west ; that the vessel had sunk , and all the crew had perished excepting himself and the boy . This report , with full particulars , was sent to the Board of Trade . Mr Jones then went to the agent for the Shipwrecked Mariners ' Society and related his pitiful tale to him . That gentleman happening to be an astute man , observed some discrepancies in the accounts given respectively by Billy and his master .