nine o'clock
At daylight the two big boats were sent off , manned by some of the Tebuan people , to bring up the shell collected by Mrs. Tracey , as Barry did not care about sailing down in the brig and there was still much to do on the south-east islet . Then the whaleboats were loaded with stores and sent ashore ; for Mrs. Tracey and Barry had decided to take possession of Arrecifos by virtue of the Protection Order -LRB- given to Tracey in Sydney by the commodore -RRB- which had been found in Rawlings ' cabin , together with all the other papers belonging to the dead captain . Velo with six men was to remain , and with the help of the willing Tebuan people continue to dive for shell , and await the return of the brig in six months ' time . So at nine o'clock the red ensign of England was run up on a flag pole in the centre of the little village amid the cheers of the crew -- cheers which were bitter to the ears of the two men who were lying , bound and guarded , in one of the native huts , awaiting to be taken on board again , and Barry nailed a copy of the Protection Order on the bole of a stately coco-palm , handing the original to Velo for safe keeping and telling him how to act in the event of a British man-of-war entering the lagoon . Then Mrs. Tracey , standing beside Barry , addressed the people who had been so faithful to her , urging them to remember that Velo was `` a true man '' to her , and that they must protect and care for him , for he would that day be married to Paní , according to the fashion of white people . Toea would go with her mistress to Sydney and remain with her for perhaps a year or more . `` So that she may comfort me in my loneliness , '' said Mrs. Tracey ; `` for my husband is dead and I have no child , and it will be good for me to have Toea , so that I may hear the sound of the tongue of Ujilong and think of ye all .