midnight
That was soon decided . The brig was by that time a heap of ashes , and it was madness to think of attacking and punishing the savages ; so after a hearty meal , and some rest , the lugger was anchored for the night in the sheltered waters of the lagoon , prior to an early start next morning for one or other of the isles to the east . But they were not destined to rest in peace . Soon after midnight , the water began to be disturbed , the mountain burst into a frightful state of eruption , and the sea rose and fell so that there was every prospect of their being cast on the island , high and dry once more . There was plenty of light for the evolutions , so hoisting sails which looked orange in the glow , they ran for the first opening they could find in the reef , passed through in safety , and stood out to sea , where they lay to a few miles away , watching the awfully grand display of fire , rising fountain-like from the volcano , down whose sides golden and blood-red water seemed to be running in streams . All that night the lugger rocked with the terrible concussions , succeeding each other without half a minute 's interval , and when the sun rose the glasses showed a great smoke rising from a desolate-looking shore , at one end of which the mountain , about half its former height , was pouring forth clouds of ashes and covering the sea thickly as far as eye could reach . The glorious groves and bright scenery were gone , destroyed in a few hours , and the strange convulsions which kept on occurring , rendered it necessary to run as rapidly as could be for safer waters and brighter skies .