midnight
I had little doubt of their being signals of distress from a ship in danger . In about half an hour the firing ceased , and I found the silence still more appalling than the dismal sounds which had preceded it . We hastened on without uttering a word , or daring to communicate to each other our mutual apprehensions . At midnight , by great exertion , we arrived at the sea shore , in that part of the island called Golden Dust . The billows were breaking against the bench with a horrible noise , covering the rocks and the strand with foam of a dazzling whiteness , blended with sparks of fire . By these phosphoric gleams we distinguished , notwithstanding the darkness , a number of fishing canoes , drawn up high upon the beach . At the entrance of a wood , a short distance from us , we saw a fire , round which a party of the inhabitants were assembled .