noon
The waters rose and fell , and roared and foamed about us , but they lifted us no more , neither did they wash us off the decks as we clung to the rigging ; for the stout short mast , upon which the lateen sail was hoisted , had not been carried away . We remained where we were till morning , every one holding on , and not communicating with each other . As the night wore away , so did the gale decrease and the sea subside . The waters now gradually left us ; at intervals , when the waves receded , we could walk on shore ; but we remained on the vessel till noon , by which time we found our vessel high and dry , having been carried over a coral reef , which appeared to extend one or two miles into the offing . The men , who had been much buffeted by the waves , and who were exhausted by clinging so long to the rigging , now that they found themselves safe , and were warmed by the heat of the sun , rallied , and began to move about . We had a long consultation as to how we should act . There was no chance of getting the vessel off again , and we did not exactly know where we were ; but the captain and I agreed that it must be upon one of the small islands of the Bahama group that we had been cast away , and our conjecture was right .