midnight
Vague rumors were bruited of a supernatural influence that had been exercised on the tenants . Strange stories were circulated of the origin of the diabolical title by which the promontory was known . By some it was believed to be haunted by the spirit of one of Sir Francis Drake 's sailors , who had deserted his ship in consequence of stories told by the Indians of gold discoveries , but who had perished by starvation on the rocks . A vaquero who had once passed a night in the ruined cabin related how a strangely dressed and emaciated figure had knocked at the door at midnight and demanded food . Other story-tellers , of more historical accuracy , roundly asserted that Sir Francis himself had been little better than a pirate , and had chosen this spot to conceal quantities of ill-gotten booty taken from neutral bottoms , and had protected his hiding-place by the orthodox means of hellish incantation and diabolic agencies . On moonlight nights a shadowy ship was sometimes seen standing off and on , or when fogs encompassed sea and shore , the noise of oars rising and falling in their rowlocks could be heard muffled and indistinctly during the night . Whatever foundation there might have been for these stories , it was certain that a more weird and desolate-looking spot could not have been selected for their theatre .