midnight
And so we prepared for the night . Yet , a little before dark , we discovered that the weed-continent trended out towards us ; so that we should pass it , maybe , at a distance of something like half a mile , and , at that , there was talk between the second mate and the bo ` sun as to whether it was better to put the ship about , and gain a greater sea-room before attempting to pass this promontory of weed ; but at last they decided that we had naught to fear ; for we had fair way through the water , and further , it did not seem reasonable to suppose that we should have aught to fear from the habitants of the weed-continent , at so great a distance as the half of a mile . And so we stood on ; for , once past the point , there was much likelihood of the weed trending away to the Eastward , and if this were so , we could square-in immediately and get the wind upon our quarter , and so make better way . Now it was the bo ` sun 's watch from eight of the evening until midnight , and I , with another man , had the lookout until four bells . Thus it chanced that , coming abreast of the point during our time of watching , we peered very earnestly to leeward ; for the night was dark , having no moon until nearer the morning ; and we were full of unease in that we had come so near again to the desolation of that strange continent . And then , suddenly , the man with me clutched my shoulder , and pointed into the darkness upon our bow , and thus I discovered that we had come nearer to the weed than the bo ` sun and the second mate had intended ; they , without doubt , having miscalculated our leeway . At this , I turned and sang out to the bo ` sun that we were near to running upon the weed , and , in the same moment , he shouted to the helmsman to luff , and directly afterwards our starboard side was brushing against the great outlying tufts of the point , and so , for a breathless minute , we waited .