eight o'clock in the evening
Sailors , however , are so estranged from their families when they have been long in their profession and so accustomed to vicissitudes , that no grief for the loss of a relation lasts very long , and in a week O'Brien had recovered his usual spirits , when a vessel brought us the intelligence that a French squadron had been seen off St Domingo . This put us all on the _ qui vive _ . O'Brien was sent for by the admiral , and ordered to hasten his brig for sea with all possible despatch , as he was to proceed with despatches to England forthwith . In three days we were reported ready , received our orders , and at eight o'clock in the evening made sail from Carlisle Bay . `` Well , Mr Swinburne , '' said I , `` how do you like your new situation ? '' `` Why , Mr Simple , I like it well enough ; and it 's not disagreeable to be an officer , and sit in your own cabin ; but still I feel that I should get on better if I were in another ship . I 've been hail-fellow well met with the ship 's company so long , that I ca n't top the officer over them , and we ca n't get the duty done as smart as I could wish : and then at night I find it very lonely stuck up in my cabin like a parson 's clerk , and nobody to talk to ; for the other warrants are particular , and say that I 'm only acting , and may not be confirmed , so they hold aloof .