five o’clock
There was , however , nothing to show that a shipwreck had taken place recently . It is true that , as Gideon Spilett observed , any remains of it might have drifted out to sea , and they must not take it for granted that because they could find no traces of it , a ship had not been castaway on the coast . The reporter 's argument was just , and besides , the incident of the bullet proved that a shot must have been fired in Lincoln Island within three months . It was already five o'clock , and there were still two miles between the settlers and the extremity of the Serpentine Peninsula . It was evident that after having reached Reptile End , Harding and his companions would not have time to return before dark to their encampment near the source of the Mercy . It would therefore be necessary to pass the night on the promontory . But they had no lack of provisions , which was lucky , for there were no animals on the shore , though birds , on the contrary , abound -- jacamars , couroucous , tragopans , grouse , lories , parrots , cockatoos , pheasants , pigeons , and a hundred others .