About four o'clock
The distance from Mandible Cape to the mouth of the Mercy was not more than eight miles . The head of the _ Bonadventure _ was put towards Granite House , and a fair wind filling her sails , she ran rapidly along the coast . To the enormous lava rocks succeeded soon those capricious sand dunes , among which the engineer had been so singularly recovered , and which sea-birds frequented in thousands . About four o'clock , Pencroft , leaving the point of the islet on his left , entered the channel which separated it from the coast , and at five o'clock the anchor of the _ Bonadventure _ was buried in the sand at the mouth of the Mercy . The colonists had been absent three days from their dwelling . Ayrton was waiting for them on the beach , and Jup came joyously to meet them , giving vent to deep grunts of satisfaction . A complete exploration of the coast of the island had now been made , and no suspicious appearances had been observed .