midnight
Vague rumors were bruited of a supernatural influence that had been exercised on the tenants . Strange stories were circulated of the origin of the diabolical title by which the promontory was known . By some it was believed to be haunted by the spirit of one of Sir Francis Drake 's sailors who had deserted his ship in consequence of stories told by the Indians of gold discoveries , but who had perished by starvation on the rocks . A vaquero who had once passed a night in the ruined cabin , related how a strangely dressed and emaciated figure had knocked at the door at midnight and demanded food . Other story-tellers , of more historical accuracy , roundly asserted that Sir Francis himself had been little better than a pirate , and had chosen this spot to conceal quantities of ill-gotten booty , taken from neutral bottoms , and had protected his hiding-place by the orthodox means of hellish incantation and diabolic agencies . On moonlight nights a shadowy ship was sometimes seen standing off-and-on , or when fogs encompassed sea and shore the noise of oars rising and falling in their row-locks could be heard muffled and indistinctly during the night . Whatever foundation there might have been for these stories , it was certain that a more weird and desolate-looking spot could not have been selected for their theatre .