six o'clock in the evening
shouted out Captain Dinks the moment Mr Meldrum had spoken ; and , the helm being put down at the same time , the ship was again brought head to wind , almost sooner than it has taken to describe the operation . However , as it was observed after a little while that the vessel drifted so rapidly to leeward , through the mere force of the wind on her exposed hull and remaining spars , not to speak of the wash of the sea , and thus ran in quite as great danger of colliding with the ice as if she had been going ahead , the fore staysail , reefed into the most attenuated proportions , was set again -- so that the ship might be under steerage way and be able to avoid , under judicious control , the numerous small bergs that now hove in sight like miniature islands in every direction , making the navigation perilous in the extreme . As night came on , too , the dangers surrounding the _ Nancy Bell _ increased tenfold ; for , the wind not only blew with greater strength , but it was accompanied by blinding showers of hail and snow , while a thick fog rose from the freezing water , more like steam than anything else , obscuring everything and preventing the floating ice from being seen until it was immediately under the bows . It was just about the beginning of the second dog-watch at four bells -- six o'clock in the evening -- that the mist came ; so , after a brief consultation with Mr Meldrum , Captain Dinks told the chief mate to call the hands aft . `` We are in as tight a hole , McCarthy , '' said he , `` as the poor old ship was ever placed in , and it will take us all our time to get out of it ; so , it 's best to let all the hands know it , that each may do his best for the good of all . '' `` Aye , aye , sorr , '' answered Mr McCarthy ; `` it 's no sight o ' use beating about the bush when danger 's under weigh . Till 'em the truth , Cap ` en , and shame the divil ! ''