seven o'clock
The young commander did not add that it was his intention to keep watch while his friends slept . Nevertheless this is what he did for the remainder of the night , sometimes promenading the deck and encouraging the men , sometimes descending for a few minutes to the saloon . As day commenced to dawn he had the satisfaction of perceiving that the waves visibly receded , and if they continued to do so the `` Alaska '' would be left almost on dry rocks . This gave him hope of being able speedily to determine the extent of the damage which the vessel had received , and , in fact , toward seven o'clock they were able to proceed with this examination . They found that three points of the rocks had pierced the `` Alaska , '' and held her firmly on her rocky bed . The direction in which she lay , slightly inclined to the north , which was contrary to her course , showed that the commands given by Erik to back the vessel had saved her , and also rendered the shock , when she struck , less severe . The engine had been reversed some seconds before she touched , and she had been carried on the reef by the remainder of her previous speed , and by the force of the current .