four o'clock
With the exception of one day of strong south-westerly winds , which ran me something to the northwards , the weather had been fine , bitterly cold indeed , but bright and clear . In this time I had run a distance of about six hundred and fifty miles to the east , and with no other cloths upon the schooner than her spritsail . I confess , as the hours passed away and nothing hove into view , I grew dispirited and restless ; but , on the other hand , I was comforted by the bright weather and the favourable winds , and particularly by the vessel 's steering herself , which enabled me to get rest , to keep myself warm with the fire , and to dress my food , yet ever pushing onwards -LRB- however slowly -RRB- into the navigated regions of this sea . On the morning of the seventh day I came on deck , having slept since four o'clock . The wind was icy keen , pretty brisk , about west by south ; the movement in the sea was from the south , and rolled very grandly ; there was a fog that way , too , that hid the horizon , bringing the ocean-line to within a league of the schooner ; but the other quarters swept in a dark , clear , blue line against the sky , and there was such a clarity of atmosphere as made the distances appear infinite . I went below and lighted the fire and got my breakfast , all very leisurely , and when I was done I sat down and smoked a pipe . It was so keen on deck that I had no mind to leave the fire , and , as all was well , I lounged through the best part of two hours in the cook-house , when , thinking it was now time to take another survey of the scene I went on deck .