noon
On the day but one following that of the impressment of the _ Aurora 's _ men , a gun was fired at sunrise by the commodore , blue-peter was hoisted at the fore-royal-mastheads , and the fore-topsails were loosed on board the ships of the convoying squadron , and the still morning air immediately began to resound with the songs of seamen and the clanking of windlass-pawls , as the fleet of merchantmen constituting the convoy began to get under weigh . There was a considerable amount of emulation displayed among the merchant-skippers -- those of them , at least , whose ships or crews had any pretensions to smartness , and in half an hour a good many of the craft were under weigh and standing out to sea with a light air of wind from the eastward . The old _ Tremendous _ , 74 , led the van , closely followed by the _ Torpid _ , 50 ; while the frigates _ Andromeda _ and _ Vixen _ , each of 32 guns , assisted by the _ Dasher _ , _ Grampus _ , _ Throstle _ , and _ Mallard _ , 10-gun-brigs , cruised round and round the laggards , making signals , firing guns , and generally creating a great deal of fuss , noise , and excitement . The leading portion of the fleet was hove-to , hull-down , at sea , before the last craft in the convoy had succeeded in getting her anchor and making a start ; but by noon the whole of the fleet was fairly in the Channel , when the _ Tremendous _ made the signal to fill , and away they all went , bowling along to the southward and westward , the dull sailers under every rag they could spread to the wind -- now settled into a fine steady royal-breeze from east-south-east , while the smarter craft were compelled to show only such a spread of canvas as would enable the dullards to keep pace with them . The _ Tremendous _ and _ Torpid _ , under double-reefed topsails , led the way about two miles apart ; the frigates were posted , one to windward and one to leeward of the merchant-fleet , and the brigs brought up the rear , it being their duty to whip-in the stragglers , urge on the slow-coaches , and keep a sharp lookout for prowling privateers . The English coast was still faintly visible , like a light grey cloud , on the horizon astern , when a strange sail was sighted on the port beam , steering west , a course which brought her gradually nearer to the convoy . She was brig-rigged , and she continued to approach until she had reached a point some six miles from the fleet ; when she suddenly hauled her wind , and , without showing any colours , stood away to the southward and eastward , close-hauled , under a heavy press of canvas .