noon
For me , who at that age had never so much as happened to hear of a case like this , of animal combustion , in the horrid mood that came over me , I almost thought the burning body was a premonition of the hell of the Calvinists , and that Miguel 's earthly end was a foretaste of his eternal condemnation . Immediately after the burial , an iron pot of red coals was placed in the bunk , and in it two handfuls of coffee were roasted . This done , the bunk was nailed up , and was never opened again during the voyage ; and strict orders were given to the crew not to divulge what had taken place to the emigrants ; but to this , they needed no commands . After the event , no one sailor but Jackson would stay alone in the forecastle , by night or by noon ; and no more would they laugh or sing , or in any way make merry there , but kept all their pleasantries for the watches on deck . All but Jackson : who , while the rest would be sitting silently smoking on their chests , or in their bunks , would look toward the fatal spot , and cough , and laugh , and invoke the dead man with incredible scoffs and jeers . He froze my blood , and made my soul stand still . There was on board our ship , among the emigrant passengers , a rich-cheeked , chestnut-haired Italian boy , arrayed in a faded , olive-hued velvet jacket , and tattered trowsers rolled up to his knee .