about one o'clock in the morning
At the private suggestion of the said chief mate , Dick lost no time in conveying his belongings to the ship and depositing his bedding in the best-sheltered bunk in the forecastle ; after which he returned to Number 19 Paradise Street , where he spent the few hours of freedom remaining to him in assisting his friend the Doctor , and absorbing further knowledge from him . Finally , as the clocks in the immediate neighbourhood were striking the hour of eight in the evening , Dick stepped over the rail of the _ Concordia _ and formally reported himself to the chief mate , thereafter repairing to the forecastle and making his preparations for the night . He was the first hand to join the ship , notwithstanding the fact that the entire crew had been ordered to be on board not later than eight o'clock that evening ; and it was not until close upon midnight that the remainder found their way down from the neighbouring public houses , all of them as surly and quarrelsome as bears at the termination of their short period of liberty . Fortunately for Dick , all hands were too far gone in drink to admit of their quarrelsomeness going further than words , and eventually , by about one o'clock in the morning , he was able to compose himself to sleep , to the accompaniment of the snores and mutterings of his companions -- thirteen in number . Many lads in Dick Maitland 's position , and brought up amid refined surroundings , as he had been , would have regarded with horror and loathing such a situation as that in which he now found himself , and would have been overwhelmed with self-pity at the cruelly hard luck which forced them to herd with such uncongenial companions in such a pig sty of a place as the _ Concordia 's _ forecastle just then presented ; but Dick was something of a philosopher , and was , moreover , full of `` grit '' . He held the doctrine that a man can make what he chooses of his surroundings , and always find in them something of amusement or interest , if he cares to look for it ; and now he consoled himself with the reminder that life in that forecastle , and among those men , whose highest ideal of happiness seemed to be helpless intoxication , would after all be but a brief experience , out of which it would be hard indeed if he could not learn some useful lesson . With this philosophic reflection , he curled himself up in his blankets and dropped into a sound , dreamless sleep .