midnight
It was very indistinct , but wavered about , always floating about a foot or two from the surface , sometimes standing still as though he was looking for something on the ground , and sometimes moving very quickly . It was a will-o ' - the-wisp -- a phosphorescent exhalation . `` It was a foul pestilential place , there is no doubt . The mist was all about us by midnight , and smelt very heavy and cold . I awoke shivering in the morning , and not feeling by any means as fresh or vigorous as usual ; but nevertheless I determined to explore the island -- singly , if none of the men would accompany me . `` Straight up in front of me , apparently about a mile inland , was a very marked clump of trees projecting above the other foliage . I had noticed it several times from the sea the day before .