twenty minutes past six
Miss Blanche , conducted by Louis , appeared about the same time . Her costume was very neat , though not showy ; but she was as beautiful as a fairy , and the Frenchman clasped his hands in ecstasy when he saw her . In a short time they were all seated in the Blanchita , and the gentlemen then took their places . Precisely at twenty minutes past six Captain Sharp , prompted by Captain Ringgold , gave the order to cast off . A quartermaster of the Blanche was at the wheel , and in five minutes she was alongside the shore . A _ platform of clean boards , covered with a carpet _ , had been laid down by the landlord of the Hôtel de l'Europe , and the vehicles were in waiting . The ladies were handed from the boat to the carriages without a spot or a splash on their dresses , though the shore was very muddy .