nearly midday before
This he hauled out of the water , and found it to be a portion of the gaff . It was a fortunate discovery ; because , in the event of long exposure , it would prove to be a most useful covering . Wringing it out , he spread it over the logs to dry . The doing of all this occupied the shipwrecked youth so long that it was nearly midday before he could sit down on his raft and think calmly over his position . Hunger now began to remind him that he was destitute of food ; but Henry had been accustomed , while roaming among the mountains of his island home , to go fasting for long periods of time . The want of breakfast , therefore , did not inconvenience him much ; but before he had remained inactive more than ten minutes , the want of sleep began to tell upon him . Gradually he felt completely overpowered by it .