noon
In the morning the chain-cable of the anchor was found tossed by the force of the sand-laden seas right over the deck , and arranged there with a certain regularity . To many of the crew it seemed clear that other than natural causes must have been at work ; there were evidently `` dead hands '' upon the bank , and this was a warning . Nils shook his head and said nothing . All the morning they were enveloped in a thick sea fog that surrounded them like a wall ; but towards noon the sun began to appear like a sickly gleam above them , and by dinner-time they were sailing under a clear sky , and in a fresh green breezy sea , with sails on every side . It was an exhilarating sight , and reminded Elizabeth of the days of her childhood . She called Salvé over to share her enjoyment of it . Of all the vessels in sight , the handsomest , without comparison , was the North Star , a Norwegian corvette , well known along the coast of Norway , and which had often aroused Elizabeth 's enthusiasm in earlier days .