About nine o'clock
Then it was that Mark deeply felt how much had been left him , by casting his lot on that beautiful and luxuriant crater , instead of reducing him to those dregs of misery which so many shipwrecked mariners are compelled to swallow ! How much , or how many of the blessings that he enjoyed on the Reef , would he not have been willing to part with , that evening , in order to secure a safe arrival at the side of the Rancocus ! By the utmost care to profit by every puff of air , and by handling the boat with the greatest skill , this happy result was obtained , however , without any sacrifice . About nine o'clock , and not sooner , the boat was well secured , and Mark went into his cabin . Here he knelt and returned thanks to God , for his safe return to a place that was getting to be as precious to him as the love of life could render it . After this , tired with his day 's work , the young man got into his berth and endeavoured to sleep . The fatigue of the day , notwithstanding the invigorating freshness of the breeze , acted as an anodyne , and our young man soon forgot his adventures and his boat , in profound slumbers .