four o’clock
It would have been easy to bring down one of these quadramani with a gunshot , and Pencroft was greatly tempted to fire , but Harding opposed so useless a massacre . This was prudent , for the monkeys , or apes rather , appearing to be very powerful and extremely active , it was useless to provoke an unnecessary aggression , and the creatures might , ignorant of the power of the explorers ' firearms , have attacked them . It is true that the sailor considered the monkeys from a purely alimentary point of view , for those animals which are herbivorous make very excellent game ; but since they had an abundant supply of provisions , it was a pity to waste their ammunition . Towards four o'clock , the navigation of the Mercy became exceedingly difficult , for its course was obstructed by aquatic plants and rocks . The banks rose higher and higher , and already they were approaching the spurs of Mount Franklin . The source could not be far off , since it was fed by the water from the southern slopes of the mountain . `` In a quarter of an hour , '' said the sailor , `` we shall be obliged to stop , captain . ''