noon
So saying , taking the axe from Jake , he made a slash at the end of the hawser which had been rigged up over the head of the foremast , when , the strands being cut through after a couple of heavy strokes , the rope parted , curling up like a whip and flying up in the air with a pretty sharp report . `` Now , Mr Marline , it 's your turn , '' said the captain , having thus set an example in commencing the work ; and then , the first mate , nothing loth , attacked the main-shrouds , severing them clear to the chain-plates , when he handed over the axe to Jackson , who also did wonders with the weapon towards clearing away the heavy rigging that had so long resisted the efforts of the men with their clasp-knives . The sea by this time was quite calm , thus greatly facilitating our labour ; but , from our not having had any food for two days , all hands were very weak , and it took them a much longer time to free the ship of all her rope hamper and cordage than they would have achieved the task in if they had possessed their proper strength . It was , therefore , quite late on in the afternoon when the rigging on the port side was all detached , although Jake had recovered the axe at noon , and we had set to work immediately afterwards . This , however , was only a preliminary to the real labour that lay before us -- that of cutting away the masts , a much more serious matter . The ship , it must be recollected , was lying completely over on her starboard side , with all her spars extended horizontally flat along the surface of the sea , which washed up to the hatches ; so that , even amidships , the water was too deep for the men to have stood on the deck , even if they could have found foothold ; there . Away ahead , the bows were completely submerged right up to the fore-chains , the ocean swell washing right through the _ Josephine _ fore and aft , right up to the poop .