noon
Soon after sunrise they came in sight of land , but , on approaching it , they found that the surf was bursting with great fury upon a barrier reef , stretching between them and the shore ; and it was not until they had coasted along it for many hours , that they succeeded in effecting a landing . Eiulo had heard both his father and Wakatta speak of the island as a singularly beautiful spot , nearly as large as Tewa , and abounding in bread-fruit and cocoa-nut trees . Here the fugitives remained for several months , until , becoming wearied of their solitary life , and possessed by an irresistible longing to revisit their homes , they came to the determination to venture back , and learn the state of things there , at every hazard . They accordingly set sail one day at noon , in order that they might reach their destination under cover of night , in which they succeeded . Seeking a temporary place of concealment in the woods , they seized favourable opportunities to discover themselves to some friends , on whom they could rely . They learned that the victorious allies had been guilty of the most intolerable cruelty towards the people of Tewa . Many of the prisoners had been slain , as sacrifices to the gods , and many more had been made slaves .