Not absolutely silent of course, but silentish!

a free-kick specialist

At noon, each man got his half-chark (a wine glass) full of rum and a four-quart iron pot of fish soup made from salt salmon, potatoes and graham flour ... in the evening another half chark of rum and 20 cents as pay for the day's work.

he speaks to this very question: which he does with so many hacks and hesitations