noon
The Lily and the Dart were eight-oar boats , while the Dip carried only four , and was designed as a `` tender '' for the fleet . Uncle Ben assigned places to the boys , though there were about thirty left after the oars were all manned . After an hour 's drilling , he got the crews so they could work together , and the boats were then employed in conveying the rest of the party over to the boat-house . The others in their turn were instructed and before noon Uncle Ben had rendered them tolerably proficient in the art of rowing . When the Bluebird reached Center Island , Tim had just embarked in the Butterfly , and Barney was preparing to do the same in the Zephyr . The Rovers were utterly confounded at this unexpected invasion of their domain , and hastily retreated from the beach . William Bright , who was the coxswain of the Bluebird , ran her alongside the Zephyr , and took her in tow .