about
midnight
The work on the first was frequently intermitted , by little voyages in the other craft , and by labour necessary to be done in preparing dwellings on the Peak , to meet the rainy season , which was now again near at hand . Past experience had told Mark that the winter months in his islands , if winter a season could be termed , during which most of the trees , all the grasses , and many of the fruits continued to grow and ripen as in summer , were not very formidable . It is true it then rained nearly every day , but it was very far from raining all day . Most of the rain , in fact , fell at night , commencing a little after the turn in the day , and terminating about midnight . Still it must be very unpleasant to pass such a season beneath canvass , and , about six weeks ere the wet time commenced , everybody turned to , with a will , to erect , proper framed houses . Now that the mill was sawing , this was no great task , the pine working beautifully and easily into almost every article required . Heaton laid out his house with some attention to taste , and more to comfort .