About three o'clock in the afternoon
`` Aye , aye -- and it 's a glad seeght ! '' replied the mate , to which statement all hands cheered . Some provisions , which , through the thoughtful precaution of the skipper and the assistance of Pat Doolan , had been cooked before being placed on board , were now served out around -- the long-boat the while steadily progressing on her course , now hauled a bit more to the westwards of north . About three o'clock in the afternoon another cheery hail broke the stillness that reigned amongst us ; for we were all too anxious to talk , and those of the crew who were not attending to the sheets of the sails had composed themselves to sleep , under the thwarts amidships and on the gratings aft . `` Land , ho ! '' The cry came from a man on the look-out in the bows ; and the announcement was received with a ringing shout , for the heavens were beginning to get overcast , and the wind was rising , promising that , should we be compelled to remain afloat another night , we should not find it quite so pleasant as our experiences of the past one , in spite of what we then thought the dangerous character of the following waves ; and , if it came on to blow in addition , the heavy running sea which we had then to contend with would be mere child 's play in comparison with what we might expect would get up in an hour or two . But , the nearness of the land led us to hope that we should not experience any further risk of being swamped .