about eleven o'clock in the morning
During low water the natives roamed about near the Nautilus , but were not troublesome ; I heard them frequently repeat the word `` Assai , '' and by their gestures I understood that they invited me to go on land , an invitation that I declined . So that , on that day , the boat did not push off , to the great displeasure of Master Land , who could not complete his provisions . This adroit Canadian employed his time in preparing the viands and meat that he had brought off the island . As for the savages , they returned to the shore about eleven o'clock in the morning , as soon as the coral tops began to disappear under the rising tide ; but I saw their numbers had increased considerably on the shore . Probably they came from the neighbouring islands , or very likely from Papua . However , I had not seen a single native canoe . Having nothing better to do , I thought of dragging these beautiful limpid waters , under which I saw a profusion of shells , zoophytes , and marine plants .