ten o'clock
The brig closed more upon her than she ought . It certainly enabled her to fire broadside after broadside upon her , but , as far as we could perceive , with little or no effect . In a short time the privateer contrived to get into the wind 's eye of the man-of-war , and away they went . After the four ships had been taken possession of and which were each making a different course , we sent three of the boats -- the barge , yawl , and pinnace -- under the command of Mr Silva , in order to recapture them , of which there was every prospect , as the breeze was light , and would not probably freshen before ten o'clock ; for , however the captured vessels might steer , their courses must be weather ones , as , if they had attempted to run to leeward , they must have crossed the body of the convoy . Having now made our arrangements , we turned all our attention to leeward , upon the large dark , three-masted vessel , that still remained hove-to , seeming to honour us with but little notice . She had taken possession of the finest and largest ship of the convoy . Long as I have been narrating all these facts , I assure the reader they did not occupy ten minutes in action , including the monomachia on board of the _ Lady Jane _ .