noon
`` The man was a far-away Scots cousin of my late wife , who bore the honorable name of Bruce , and followed a seafaring life . I 'll take another glass of the sherry wine , just to wet my whistle , as the vulgar saying is , before I begin . Well , you must know , Bruce was mate of a bark at the time I 'm speaking of , and he was on a voyage from Liverpool to New Brunswick . At noon one day , he and the captain , having taken their observation of the sun , were hard at it below , working out the latitude and longitude on their slates . Bruce , in his cabin , looked across through the open door of the captain 's cabin opposite . ` What do you make it , sir ? ' says Brace .