noon
In two hours they sighted the islet which Chingatok had mentioned , and , soon afterwards , had landed and taken possession of it , in the usual manner , under the name of Refuge Island . The islet , or rock , for it was little more , which the explorers had reached , was low and extremely barren . Nevertheless it had on it a large colony of sea-fowl , which received the strangers with their wonted clamour of indignation -- if not of welcome . As it was near noon at the time , the Captain and Leo went with their sextants to the highest part of the island to ascertain its position ; the Eskimos set about making an encampment , unloading the boats , etcetera , and Alf , with hammer and botanical box , set off on a short ramble along the coast , accompanied by Benjy and Butterface . Sometimes these three kept together and chatted , at other times they separated a little , each attracted by some object of interest , or following the lead , it might have been , of wayward fancy . But they never lost sight of each other , and , after a couple of hours , converged , as if by tacit consent , until they met and sat down to rest on a ledge of rock . `` Well , I _ do _ like this sort o ' thing , '' remarked Benjy , as he wiped his heated brow .