midnight
As it was , I was dressed and down in the breakfast-room so promptly that the admiral rather kept _ me _ waiting ; which was quite a different matter . By eleven o'clock however , we were on board the `` Vigilant ; '' and after going carefully through and over the craft -- accompanied by myself , Tom Hardy , and the carpenter 's mate -- the old boy came to the conclusion that she was strong enough to go round the world if required , and that he therefore need have no hesitation whatever about ordering us to proceed to England forthwith . He would , however , he said , take it upon himself to detain us until evening ; by which time he would have ready some despatches of his own , which he wished to forward . We utilised the time by filling up provisions and water ; a task which was left to the superintendence of Tom Hardy , while Smellie and I had a scramble through the gun-galleries and to the telegraph-station at the summit of the Rock ; and just as the sunset-gun boomed out on the evening air we weighed and stood out of the bay , with a light north-easterly breeze , passing Tarifa Point shortly before midnight . By breakfast-time on the morning but one following , we were abreast of Cape Saint Vincent . Eighteen hours later , we made the Rock of Lisbon ; and , on the fifth day out from Gibraltar , finding ourselves in the latitude of Cape Finisterre , we hauled up to the northward and eastward for Ushant ; and entered the Bay of Biscay . So far , all had gone well .