midnight
I volunteered to assume nursing duty in the place of Leroy , but my offer was declined , the chief mate rather drily remarking that the presence of an Englishman by the captain 's bedside was scarcely likely to accelerate the patient 's recovery , while some of his ravings were of such a character that it was better for all concerned that I should not hear them . But , he added , if I would be complaisant enough to keep his watch for him , he would esteem it a very great favour . Of course I could do no less than accede to this suggestion with a good grace . I had been on duty as Leroy 's deputy for two whole days when it fell to my turn to keep the middle watch , that is to say , the watch which extends from midnight to four o'clock in the morning . When , upon being called by Marcel , the second mate , I went on deck to relieve him , he informed me that the wind had been steadily dropping all through the first watch , and expressed a fear that we were about to lose it altogether . This did not in the least surprise me , for we were now at about our lowest parallel , and on the border at least of , if not actually within , the belt of practically perpetual calms that exists about the Line , which are the sources of so much delay , vexation , and hard work to the mariner . That the wind had dropped very considerably since I had turned in was evident to me even before I reached the deck , for , upon turning out of my bunk to dress after being called , I had immediately noticed that the ship was almost upon an even keel , while the inert `` sloppy '' sound of the water alongside that reached my ears through the open port of my cabin told me that we were sailing but slowly .