About noon
Then arose feelings of loneliness and sorrow at the sad fate of the crew of the _ Penelope _ , for though it was just possible that some of their comrades had reached the shore on the beach that extended to the westward , such an event was not very probable . Still the bare hope of this induced them to rise in haste . After a hurried breakfast on the remnants of the previous night 's supper , they proceeded along the coast for several miles , carefully searching the shores of every bay . About noon they halted . A few scraps of the dried meat still remained , and on these they dined , sitting on a grassy slope , while they consulted as to their future proceedings . `` What is now to be done ? '' asked the captain of Bladud , after they had been seated in silence for some minutes .