noon
Little did I think I should never again see his kindly face when I took my seat in the boat and was rowed ashore . Besides Ohlsen and myself , there were two English seamen , a negro named King and a Tahitian native . The youngest of the English sailors was named Robert Eury ; he was about twenty-two years of age , and a great favourite of the captain who knew his family in Dorset , England . `` We hauled the boat up on a small sandy beach , and then started off into the country , and by noon we had caught three large tortoises which we found feeding on cactus plants . Then , as we were resting and eating , we suddenly heard the report of a heavy gun , and then another and another . We clambered up the side of a rugged hill , from the summit of which we could see the harbour , a mile distant , and there was the _ Britannia _ lying at anchor , and being attacked by two vessels ! As we watched the fight we saw one of the strange ships , which were both under sail , fire a broadside at our vessel , and the second , putting about , did the same .