ten o'clock
At first the conversation was circumscribed , and embraced Plimsoll , the attractions of London , and the decline in the price of freight ; but , as the contents of the second bottle waned , speech became more unfettered , and the talk drifted into channels and latitudes widely different . Circumstances connected with bygone days were recalled ; the faces of friends long hidden in the mists of time were brought again to mind ; anecdotes illustrative of various types of maritime character succeeded to each other in brisk succession , till Maclean , without warning , finding his voice , burst into incongruous melody . One song suggested another ; a banjo was produced , and tuned to the noise of clinking glasses ; and every moment the atmosphere grew thicker . How long this concert would have lasted I can not say , but I remember , after the third repetition of the chorus of the sea-chanty that might have been heard a mile away , glancing at my watch and discovering to my astonishment that it was past ten o'clock . Then rising to my feet I resisted all temptations to stay the night , and reminded my friend Percival of his promise to put me ashore again . He was true to his word , and five minutes later we were shoving off from the ship 's side amid the valedictions of my hosts . I have a recollection to this day of the face of the chief engineer gazing sadly down upon me from the bulwarks , while his quavering voice asserted the fact , in dolorous tones , that `` Aft hae I rov 'd by bonny Doon , To see the rose and woodbine twine ; And ilka bird sang o ' its luve , And fondly sae did I o ' mine . ''