about eight o'clock
Perhaps his case is one of those in which insanity is partial , and where the mania is of a character which extends only to the matters connected with his profession . Yet it is unaccountable . I can get nothing out of Curtis ; he listens coldly whenever I allude to the subject , and only repeats what he has said before , that nothing short of an overt act of madness on the part of the captain could induce him to supersede the captain 's authority , and that the imminent peril of the ship could alone justify him in taking so decided a measure . Last evening I went to my cabin about eight o'clock , and after an hour 's reading by the light of my cabin-lamp , I retired to my berth and was soon asleep . Some hours later I was aroused by an unaccustomed noise on deck . There were heavy footsteps hurrying to and fro , and the voices of the men were loud and eager , as if the crew were agitated by some strange disturbance . My first impression was , that some tacking had been ordered which rendered it needful to fathom the yards ; but the vessel continuing to lie to starboard convinced me that this was not the origin of the commotion .