midnight
Without delay , a small jury-mast was rigged up aft , attached to the stump of the mizzen-mast , and one on the main-deck , close to where the main-mast bitts yet remained , as it was thought better not to step the jury-masts too far forward , for fear of the vessel plunging her bows under . After this , the mizzen-topsail and topgallant-sail , which had been cut off from the yards and saved from the wreck , were hoisted on roughly improvised yards ; when , the _ Nancy Bell _ being brought round with the wind abeam , was cast loose from the wreckage and headed due east towards the land -- in the very direction whence had been heard the sound of breakers , and which all on board had been so anxious to give a wide berth to but so few short hours before . What had been her dire peril was now looked on as a haven of safety ! Towards midnight , the slight surface fog , which had up to that time hung over the sea , lifted , when it could be seen that the ice had almost all disappeared -- drifting towards the south , where some towering bergs , amongst which probably was the one that had done all the mischief to the ill-fated vessel , were conspicuous in the distance . The wind , also , had diminished considerably in force , blowing now from a point to the westward of north , although the waves were still rolling heavily , as they always do for some time after a storm in the southern ocean , setting in towards the land that was just faintly visible right ahead of the _ Nancy Bell _ , and whither she was now proceeding steadily , but , of course , making but very slow progress through being waterlogged forwards and possessing such small sail-power . There was no moon , to complete the description ; but the heavens above were twinkling with bright stars that gave sufficient light to illumine the horizon for miles round , for they touched up the crests of the waves with coruscations of silver , and made the broken spray gleam like jets of flame above the dark expanse of water . Everything , in a word , looked favourable for their enjoying a quiet interval on board after all the anxiety and hard work of the preceding day and night .