eight o'clock
He was most searching and minute in his enquiries as to the nature and cause of the accident , which , he eventually agreed with Jack , had undoubtedly been brought about by the miscreants who were responsible for the disablement of the Spanish warships , and who , it was perfectly evident , had determined to ensure the success of the American undertaking by tampering with the machinery of every vessel in the harbour which could by any possibility be employed to frustrate it . Ere taking his leave he ventured to express the hope that Jack and Captain Milsom would do him the favour to accompany him when he went ashore , a few hours later , to report to the Capitan-General the failure of the expedition , as it would be his duty to do : but Jack courteously yet very firmly declined to do anything of the kind , pointing out that Lieutenant Villacampa , who had commanded the expedition , was perfectly able to furnish every particular that the General might require ; while , further , Jack considered that very unfair pressure had been brought to bear upon him to induce him to lend his yacht for the purpose of the expedition , and he therefore felt perfectly justified in declining to afford any further assistance to the local representative of the Spanish Government . Whereupon Captain Morillo expressed his profound regret that Senor Singleton should have cause to feel himself aggrieved , and departed , taking his men and his flags with him . The _ Thetis _ steamed out of Havana harbour again at eight o'clock that same morning . It is unnecessary to follow in detail the course of the voyagers during the pleasure cruise upon which they had embarked ; for while they thoroughly enjoyed themselves the cruise was absolutely uneventful . Suffice it to say that , proceeding in a very leisurely fashion , they completely circumnavigated the island of Cuba , calling in at Matanzas , Cardenas , Nuevitas , Guantanamo , Santiago de Cuba , Trinidad , Xagua , Batabano , and other more or less interesting ports on the coast ; sometimes remaining only a few hours , at other times spending as many days in harbour , while Don Hermoso made certain mysterious excursions inland and had secret conferences with more or less mysterious people , during the progress of which Jack , Carlos , and the two ladies enjoyed themselves amazingly in the steam pinnace , in which craft they made excursions up rivers , and prowled about among romantic cays to their hearts ' content . Then they crossed to Jamaica , where they enjoyed ample opportunity to compare the condition of that island , under British rule , with Cuba under the government of the Spaniards , as also to learn how the Jamaicans construe the word `` hospitality '' .