noon
It told him that he had had a glimpse into a despairing soul ; and he was profoundly moved . They stood slowly away to the north-east along the coast of Brazil . Every morning , towards the end of the dog-watch , when the sun rose in its gorgeous majesty from the sea , there came a refreshing breeze off the land , bringing with it the perfume of a thousand aromatic herbs ; albatrosses and sea-gulls circled round the ship ; flying-fish were to be seen in shoals ; and all nature , animate and inanimate , seemed to be freshened for the time into activity and life . But gradually the breeze would become warmer and lighter , and then die away altogether , so that before noon the sails would hang flapping against the mast . They scarcely made five knots in the watch , and the heat during the greater part of the day was unbearable -- as unbearable almost as the captain 's temper , which showed no signs of improvement , and which vented itself in a systematic grinding of the crew , who , Captain Beck declared , were getting into intolerable habits of idleness . Strange things occurred on board just at this time , which , taken in connection with the captain 's mood , produced an uncomfortable feeling that there was some evil influence at work by which both the ship and the captain were possessed . Groans had been distinctly heard down in the hold among the coals ; and the sailmaker affirmed that on several nights in succession he had seen a man go from amidships aft along the bulwark railings , stand still and point with his hand to the compass , and then disappear in the wake of the ship .