five
o'clock in the morning
Towards evening , the clouds began to disperse , and the moon shone , as on the preceding night , in full brightness . I had perceived no human creature during the whole day , except in the instance already mentioned . This had perhaps been owing to the nature of the day ; at all events I considered it as too hazardous an experiment , to venture from my hiding-place in so clear and fine a night . I was therefore obliged to wait for the setting of this luminary , which was not till near five o'clock in the morning . My only relief during this interval was to allow myself to sink to the bottom of my cavern , it being scarcely possible for me to continue any longer on my feet . Here I fell into an interrupted and unrefreshing doze , the consequence of a laborious night , and a tedious , melancholy day ; though I rather sought to avoid sleep , which , cooperating with the coldness of the season , would tend more to injury than advantage . The period of darkness , which I had determined to use for the purpose of removing to a greater distance from my prison , was , in its whole duration , something less than three hours .