about twelve o'clock
To this must be added his first discovery on the island , namely , the clams . Nothing could be of greater importance than this , since it afforded not merely a relish , but also actual food . The next thing that he sought after was lobsters , and he went off in search of these as soon as he could on the following day . He waited till the tide was low , which was at about twelve o'clock , and then went down along the beach . At high tide , the water came close up to the foot of the lofty cliff ; but at ebb , it descended for some distance , so that there was some sort of a beach even in places that did not promise any . The beach nearest to where Tom had taken up his abode was an expanse of mud and sand ; but passing along beyond this , on the north side , it became gravelly . About a hundred yards to the west , on this side of the island , he came to the place where he had tied his boat , on that eventful time when he had drifted here .