about midnight
Vessels were lading for various home ports , fishing craft were going out on their ventures , even a whaler had just fitted up for a long cruise , and the young as well as middle-aged sailors were shouting out farewells . White and black men were running to and fro , laughing , chaffing , and swearing at each other . There lay the East Indiaman , with her foreign flag as well as that of her country . She had come in about midnight and at early dawn preliminaries had begun . Captain Corwin had been ashore a time or two , looking up and down amid the motley throng , and now he touched his hat and nodded to Chilian Leverett , who picked his way over to him . `` We are somewhat late , '' he began apologetically . `` A little due to rough weather , but one can never fix an exact date . ''