midnight
So let us not despair ; let us hold on to the hope that the survivors of the ` Chancellor ' may be equally fortunate . '' I was only too conscious that there was not much to be said in support of Curtis 's sanguine view of things , and that the force of reason pointed all the other way ; but I said nothing , deriving what comfort I could from the fact that the captain did not yet despond of an ultimate rescue . As it was necessary to be prepared to abandon the ship almost at a moment 's notice , Dowlas was making every exertion to hurry on the construction of the raft . A little before midnight he was on the point of conveying some planks for this purpose , when , to his astonishment and horror , he found that the framework had totally disappeared . The ropes that had attached it to the vessel had snapped as she became vertically displaced , and probably it had been adrift for more than an hour . The crew were frantic at this new misfortune , and shouting `` Overboard with the masts ! '' they began to cut down the rigging preparatory to taking possession of the masts for a new raft .