two in the
morning
But we found that our late captain 's fame as a `` hard citizen '' was well known to all ; so that it is only ordinary justice to suppose that such a life as he led us was exceptional for even a Yankee spouter . Our friends gave us a blood-curdling account of the Solander whaling ground , which we were about to visit , the JAMES ARNOLD and CORAL having spent a season there that cruise . I did not , however , pay much attention to their yarns , feeling sure that , even if they were fact , it would not help to brood over coming hardships , and inclined to give liberal discount to most of their statements . The incessant chatter , got wearisome at last , and I , for one , was not sorry when , at two in the morning , our visitors departed to their several ships , and left us to get what sleep still remained left to us . A pleasant expedition was planned for the next day . Our visit being principally for wooding and watering , both of which it was necessary for us to do ourselves , Captain Count showed his usual promptitude in commencing at once . Permission having been obtained and , I suppose , paid for , we set out with two boats and a plentiful supply of axes for a well-wooded promontory to prepare a store of wood .