eight a.m.
At last light came in the east , but such a light as no one would wish to see . It was a lurid glare , such as may be seen playing over a cupola of Bessemer steel when the speigeleisen is added , only on such an extensive scale that its brilliancy was dulled into horror . Then , beneath it we saw the mountainous clouds fringed with dull violet and with jagged sabres of lightning darting from their solid black bosoms . The wind began to rise steadily but rapidly , so that by eight a.m. it was blowing a furious gale from E.N.E. . In direction it was still unsteady , the ship coming up and falling off to it several points . Now , great masses of torn , ragged cloud hurtled past us above , so low down as almost to touch the mastheads . Still the wind increased , still the sea rose , till at last the skipper judged it well to haul down the tiny triangle of storm stay-sail still set -LRB- the topsail and fore stay-sail had been furled long before -RRB- , and let her drift under bare poles , except for three square feet of stout canvas in the weather mizen-rigging .