twelve o'clock
`` Look at that fort at the entrance to the harbour , its outline is all ragged and uneven . I wish the wind would freshen up a bit , to let us see a little more of what is going on . '' Another hour and it was evident to them all that the fire of the forts was nothing like as heavy as it had been at first , while the guns of the fleet continued to thunder as steadily as when they first commenced . At twelve o'clock several of the forts had ceased to fire altogether . At one , the gun-boats having silenced the Marabout Fort , joined the three men-of-war in the bombardment of the Mex Batteries , and the _ Temeraire _ , having silenced the fort at the entrance of the Boghaz Channel , joined in the attack on the Ras-el-tin and Pharos Forts . At three o'clock there was a tremendous explosion in the Pharos Fort , and now only an occasional gun answered the fire of the assailants . This soon ceased , and at four some signal flags were seen to run up to the masthead of the _ Invincible _ , and instantly the fire from the British ships ceased , and a dead silence succeeded the din of battle that had continued almost unbroken for nine hours .