four
o'clock in the afternoon
Mason , the gunner 's mate , who was to sail in the _ Tigress _ , accompanied him to aid him to get the guns down to the boat . The Turkish officer at once handed over the guns , but was able to supply but little ammunition , for which , now that the French had retreated , there was no longer any use at Acre . However , he told off twenty men to aid the sailors in getting the guns and ammunition down , and in two hours the whole had been placed on board the boats , bringing them down very low in the water . When the last party were on their way down , Edgar hurried to his old quarters and had a consultation with the two Turks , who were ordered to purchase a supply of wine , meat , and such other stores as they could find for the cabin use , and were told to have everything at the landing-place , and to be in readiness to go on board themselves , by four o'clock in the afternoon . Had the order been given two days before , there would have been little for the Turks to have purchased ; but the town was already full of natives from the hills , many chiefs having come down to assure the pasha of their fidelity , and to inform him that bands of their horsemen were hanging on the rear of the retreating French . Great numbers of the villagers had come in to inspect the scene of the desperate struggle that had for upwards of two months gone on unceasingly . Many were anxious to obtain employment in the work of burying the dead and clearing away the ruins .