eight o'clock in the evening
Towards evening , another piece of intelligence reached me , that alarmed and astounded me . Since the laying on of the one lash on the back of Joshua Daunton , our old servant had descended from the mizzen-top , again to wait upon us . He was , in his way , an insatiate news-gatherer ; but he was as liberal in dispensing it as he was eager in acquiring it . The midshipmen were drinking , out of the still unbroken cups and two or three tin pannikins , their grog at eight o'clock in the evening , when our unshod and dirty attendant spoke thus : `` Oh , Mr Pigtop ! -- such news ! -- such strange news ! You 'll be so very sorry to hear it , sir , and so will all the young gentlemen . ''