noon
I told her that I could not , but that we were to go to England directly , and that I was living on board of the schooner . Captain Irving weighed at daybreak , and in an hour was out of the river , and as I was as anxious to be clear of such an unhealthy spot , I manned my boats and went on shore for the ivory that was left . I found that it would take the whole of the day to embark it , as we had to go two miles further up the river than the depth of water would permit the vessel to do ; for the ivory was in a hut close to the king 's house . I had sent off four boat-loads , and it being then noon , I went off with the fifth myself , that I might get my dinner , leaving the second mate to attend on shore , and taking with me the first mate who messed in the cabin . As we were in the middle of the stream , the boat struck against a stump of a tree , as we supposed , and knocked so large a hole in the bow that she began to fill . I immediately ordered the men to pull for the nearest point , which was on the opposite side of the river , that we might ground the boat to prevent her sinking . The first mate , who was a very active man , finding that the elephants ' teeth prevented his reaching the bow of the boat , and stuffing into it some oakum which he had found in the stern sheets , sounded with the boat-hook , and finding that there was not more than three feet of water where we were pulling , jumped over the bows to push the oakum into the hole ; but the poor fellow had not been a few seconds in the water , when he gave a shriek , and we perceived that a large shark had snapped him in two .