five in the evening
The first thing I did was to send the wine and sea stock , a most exuberant assortment unquestionably , belonging to my Jamaica friends , ashore ; but , to my surprise , the boat was sent back , with Mr Bang 's card , on which was written in pencil , `` Do n't affront us , Captain Cringle . '' Thereupon I got the schooner under weigh , and no event worth narrating turned up until we anchored close to the post office at Crooked Island , two days after . We found the Firebrand there , and the post-office mail-boat , with her red flag and white horse in it , and I went on board the corvette to deliver my official letter , detailing the incidents of the cruise , and was most graciously received by my captain . There was a sail in sight when we anchored , which at first we took for the Jamaica packet ; but it turned out to be the Tinker , friend Bang 's flour-loaded brig ; and by five in the evening our friends were all three once more restored to us , but , alas ! so far as regarded two of them , only for a moment . Messrs Gelid and Wagtail had , on second thoughts , it seems , hauled their wind to lay in a stock of turtle at Crooked Island , and I went ashore with them , and assisted in the selection from the turtle crawls filled with beautiful clear water , and lots of fine lively fresh-caught fish , the postmaster being the turtle merchant . `` I say , Paul , happier in the fish way here than you were at Biggleswade eh ? ''