two o'clock
When sufficiently distant from the town to escape observation , he changed his course , and proceeded directly out to sea . Half an hour sufficed to carry the boat as far as Ithuel deemed necessary , leaving him about a mile from the promontory , and so far to the westward as to give him a fair view of the window at which Griffin had taken post . The first occurrence out of the ordinary course of things that struck the American was the strong light of a lamp shining through an upper window of the government-house -- not that at which the lieutenant was posted , but one above it -- and which had been placed there expressly as an indication to the frigate that Griffin had arrived , and was actively on duty . It was now two o'clock , or an hour or two before the appearance of light , and the breeze off the adjoining continent was sufficiently strong to force a good sailing vessel , whose canvas had been thickened by the damps of night , some four knots through the water ; and as Capraya was less than thirty miles from Porto Ferrajo , abundant time had been give to the Proserpine to gain her offing ; that ship having come from behind her cover , as soon as the sun had set , and the haze of evening settled upon the sea . Ithuel , usually so loquacious and gossiping in his moments of leisure , was silent and observant when he had anything serious on hand . His eye was still on the window in which the lamp was visible , the pure olive oil that was burning in it throwing out a clear , strong flame ; when suddenly a blue-light flashed beneath the place , and he got a momentary glimpse of the body of the man who held it , as he leaned forward from another window . The motion which now turned his head seaward was instinctive ; it was just in time to let him detect a light descending apparently into the water like a falling star ; but which , in fact , was merely a signal lantern of the Proserpine coming rapidly down from the end of her gaff .