midnight
Finding that the bare ground would make a rather hard couch , though far less so than we had lately been accustomed to , Morton proposed that we should bring a load of leaves from the neighbouring shore to spread upon it . He and I accordingly rowed over to the mainland , and collected in the grove near the beech , a boatload of the clean dry foliage of the pandanus and hibiscus , which made excellent elastic beds . Johnny watched our departure as though he considered this an exceedingly rash and adventurous enterprise , and he seemed greatly relieved at our safe return . It was now past midnight , and after hauling the boat well up on the shore , we laid down side by side and were very soon asleep . `` They linger there while weeks and months go by , And hold their hope , tho ' weeks and months are past ; And still at morning round the farthest sky , And still at eve , their eager glance is cast , If there they may behold the far-off mast Arise , for which they have not ceased to pray . '' For a number of days we remained upon the islet where we had first landed , seldom visiting even the adjacent shore . During this time we subsisted upon cocoa-nuts and a small species of shell-fish , resembling mussels , which we obtained in abundance from the ledges of the neighbouring reef , and which the little native told us , were used as a common article of food among his own people .