About three o'clock in the afternoon
`` It would be a hard matter to land you in civilization without a lot o ' questions being asked , an ' none o ' us here has any very convincin ' answers up our sleeves . '' Clayton remonstrated against the inhumanity of landing them upon an unknown shore to be left to the mercies of savage beasts , and , possibly , still more savage men . But his words were of no avail , and only tended to anger Black Michael , so he was forced to desist and make the best he could of a bad situation . About three o'clock in the afternoon they came about off a beautiful wooded shore opposite the mouth of what appeared to be a land-locked harbor . Black Michael sent a small boat filled with men to sound the entrance in an effort to determine if the Fuwalda could be safely worked through the entrance . In about an hour they returned and reported deep water through the passage as well as far into the little basin . Before dark the barkentine lay peacefully at anchor upon the bosom of the still , mirror-like surface of the harbor .