about 8 a.m.
We at once took the man aboard , where , during our passage across to Cliff Island , I explained to him as best I could the episode of the stolen punt -- to the amazement of the two seaman , who seemed to regard as wonderful the fact that in the course of a year I had acquired a fairly fluent command of the natives ' language . I observed with satisfaction that , when Bowata and a considerable company of the natives came down to the beach to greet us upon seeing our boat heading for the landing-place , the two seamen looked more than a trifle uneasy , fearing perhaps that I would seize the opportunity to fulfil my threat to hand them over to the charge of the blacks ; and I was not sorry to let them see thus early what a powerful force of auxiliaries I had behind me should they be meditating anything in the nature of an undue assertion of independence . I designedly directed the particular attention of Bowata and his followers to my new companions , explaining who and what they were ; but of course the shellbacks understood nothing of what I was saying , and they made little or no attempt to conceal their relief when I at length bade farewell to the blacks and we made sail again upon our return to Eden . On the following morning I resumed work upon the cutter ; and I thought that Van Ryn and Svorenssen looked somewhat disconcerted when , in accordance with my arrangement with Bowata , a party of ten sturdy natives arrived at the shipyard about 8 a.m. in the Chinese boat I had given them , to lend us a hand as and when required . But the two seamen turned to without demur , and I soon had reason to congratulate myself upon my acquisition of them ; for while Svorenssen revealed an almost professional skill in the use of carpenters ' tools , the Dutchman explained that if I would cut out the cutter 's sails he would undertake to make them to my entire satisfaction . Both men did much more and far better work than I in the least anticipated ; and when at length we knocked off work for the day , and I surveyed the result of that one day 's work , I felt that I might now at last begin to calculate , with some approach to accuracy , the date at which our labours might be expected to come to a successful conclusion . Two days later Van Ryn -- who was working at the new sails under the shade of a tree at some distance from the shipyard -- requested that , if possible , I would spare Billy to assist him ; and as the request seemed reasonable I acceded to it without demur .