three o’clock in the afternoon
When he was gone , I turned to the boy , whom they called Xury , and said to him , `` Xury , if you will be faithful to me , I 'll make you a great man ; but if you will not stroke your face to be true to me '' -- that is , swear by Mahomet and his father 's beard -- `` I must throw you into the sea too . '' The boy smiled in my face , and spoke so innocently that I could not distrust him , and swore to be faithful to me , and go all over the world with me . While I was in view of the Moor that was swimming , I stood out directly to sea with the boat , rather stretching to windward , that they might think me gone towards the Straits ' mouth -LRB- as indeed any one that had been in their wits must have been supposed to do -RRB- : for who would have supposed we were sailed on to the southward , to the truly Barbarian coast , where whole nations of negroes were sure to surround us with their canoes and destroy us ; where we could not go on shore but we should be devoured by savage beasts , or more merciless savages of human kind . But as soon as it grew dusk in the evening , I changed my course , and steered directly south and by east , bending my course a little towards the east , that I might keep in with the shore ; and having a fair , fresh gale of wind , and a smooth , quiet sea , I made such sail that I believe by the next day , at three o'clock in the afternoon , when I first made the land , I could not be less than one hundred and fifty miles south of Sallee ; quite beyond the Emperor of Morocco 's dominions , or indeed of any other king thereabouts , for we saw no people . Yet such was the fright I had taken of the Moors , and the dreadful apprehensions I had of falling into their hands , that I would not stop , or go on shore , or come to an anchor ; the wind continuing fair till I had sailed in that manner five days ; and then the wind shifting to the southward , I concluded also that if any of our vessels were in chase of me , they also would now give over ; so I ventured to make to the coast , and came to an anchor in the mouth of a little river , I knew not what , nor where , neither what latitude , what country , what nation , or what river . I neither saw , nor desired to see any people ; the principal thing I wanted was fresh water . We came into this creek in the evening , resolving to swim on shore as soon as it was dark , and discover the country ; but as soon as it was quite dark , we heard such dreadful noises of the barking , roaring , and howling of wild creatures , of we knew not what kinds , that the poor boy was ready to die with fear , and begged of me not to go on shore till day .