three o’clock in the afternoon
A pause was often made to examine the soil , or to see if there were any sign of an approaching fracture on the coast , and sometimes the explorers wandered inland for half a mile . Here and there the Sergeant planted branches of willow or birch to serve as landmarks for the future , especially wherever undermining seemed to be going on rapidly and the solidity of the ground was doubtful . By this means it would be easy to ascertain the changes which might take place . They did advance , however , and at three o'clock in the afternoon they were only three miles from Walruses ' Bay , and Hobson called Mrs Barnett 's attention to the important changes which had been effected by the rupture of the isthmus . Formerly the south-western horizon was shut in by a long slightly curved coast-line , formed by the shores of Liverpool Bay . Now a sea-line bounded the view , the continent having disappeared . Victoria Island ended in an abrupt angle where it had broken off , and all felt sure that on turning round that angle the ocean would be spread out before them , and that its waves would bathe the whole of the southern side of the island , which was once the connecting-link between Walruses ' Bay and Washburn Bay .