noon
Johnny , who had awaked at the return of the absentees , was greatly delighted at these discoveries , and began to lament that he had not accompanied Arthur . He inquired very particularly as to the direction of the bread-fruit grove , as if cherishing the design of setting out at once to visit it ; but Browne letting some thing drop about the voice in the woods , Johnny changed the subject , and saying that it must be nearly dinner-time , proposed to make a fire , and bake the fern roots , so as to test their quality . Upon hearing this , Max , whose slumbers had also been disturbed , raised his head for a moment and exclaimed so vehemently against the very mention of a fire , when we were already dissolving with heat , that nothing further was said about it . `` And now , '' said Arthur , after having given a full account of his discoveries , and answered all Johnny 's questions , `` I believe it is just noon , and while I think of it , I will try to ascertain our longitude . '' `` Ascertain our longitude ! '' exclaimed Browne , `` pray , how do you propose to do that without instruments ? '' `` I know the longitude of the Kingsmill islands , '' answered Arthur , `` and if I can find our distance east or west of them , of course , I have the longitude of this island . ''