midnight
The men looked suspiciously and expectantly at every quarter of the heavens . The Captain said nothing , but cautiously had all his preparations made for a storm . Every half hour he anxiously consulted the barometer , and then cast uneasy glances at the sea and sky . But the calm which had set in at midnight , and had become confirmed at dawn , extended itself through the long day . The ship drifted idly , keeping no course , her yards creaking lazily as she slowly rose and fell at the movement of the ocean-undulations . Hour after hour passed , and the day ended , and night came once more . The Captain did not turn in that night .