midnight
For a moment Stuart felt a twinge of loneliness , but the afternoon was short , and he had a great deal to do . It was only by hurrying that he was able to get done all the various things that had been suggested . Despite his rush , however , the boy took time to send a cable to his father , telling of his own safety , for he had no means of knowing whether or not his father might be worrying over him also . He worked until midnight learning the principles of the typewriter and , in a poky sort of way , trying to hammer out the guide sentences given him in the Instruction Book . Next day found him again at sea . In contrast with the riotous vegetation of the jungles of Haiti and the tropical forests of Eastern Cuba , Stuart found the country around Bridgetown , the sole harbor of Barbados , surprisingly unattractive . The city itself was active and bustling , but dirty , dusty and mean .