eight o'clock
As for help from Trieste , it was useless looking out for it . Still , the titled gentlemen , in their warm and cosy offices of the _ See-Behörde _ , which fronted the harbour , had seen the ship fighting against the wind and the waves . They knew , or , at least , ought to have known , of her distress ; but it was carnival time , and their thoughts were surely not with the ships at sea . At last , at eight o'clock , a ship was seen , and signals of distress were made . The ship answered , and began tacking about and trying to come near the sinking craft . When within reach of hearing , the whole crew of the _ Ave Maria _ summoned up all their strength and shouted that they were starving . Since his departure , Milenko had never received any letters from his parents , for , in those times of sailing-ships , captains got news from home casually , by means of such fellow-countrymen as they chanced to meet , rather than through the post .