two o'clock
On the following morning Captain Dubosc and Lieutenant Le Breton -LRB- we now discovered that the _ Virginia 's _ people had assumed the names of the officers of the _ Vestale _ in addition to appropriating the name of the ship -RRB- came on board the _ Daphne _ to breakfast ; Armitage and old Mildmay being invited to meet them . The meal appeared to be a protracted one , for it was served punctually at eight o'clock and the participants did not appear on deck until half - past ten . The secret , however , soon came out , for when they did at length put in an appearance it became perfectly evident , from sundry disjointed remarks which passed between them , that something of importance was on the _ tapis _ . The Frenchmen 's gig was awaiting them , and they soon passed down over the side , Captain Dubosc 's last words being : `` Well , then , _ mon ami _ , it is all settled , and our contingent shall be ready for a start punctually at two o'clock _ Au revoir _ . '' I was not left long in ignorance of the precise nature of the arrangement which had just been concluded , for as soon as the French gig was fairly away from our vessel 's side , Captain Vernon beckoned me to him and said : `` Just step down below with me , Hawkesley ; I want to have a talk with you . '' I followed him down into his cabin , whereupon he directed me to be seated , drew a chair up to the table for himself , and laying his hand upon a bundle of papers , said : `` These are some of the papers which I discovered the night before last on board the _ Virginia _ ; and as I anticipated would be the case , they contain several items of exceedingly important information . One of these items has reference to the existence , on an island some forty miles up the river , of an immense slave depot , as also of a slave hulk , in both of which , if the information here given happens to be reliable , a large number of slaves are at this moment awaiting embarkation .