about 3:30 in the afternoon
She mounted thirty-two long twelves , and mustered a crew of 190 men . It had been my intention to act upon Sir Peregrine 's suggestion , and ask for a day or two 's leave to run home and see my friends once more , before finally quitting Old England upon a cruise of unknown duration ; but we had been so excessively busy that I really had not the conscience to make such a request ; and now that the ship was finally ataunto , it appeared that we were to proceed to sea forthwith . I was therefore obliged to content myself with writing them a long letter , to which I put the finishing touches while we were waiting for the captain , Mr Annesley having kept a shore-boat alongside to take ashore a few letters which he had hastily scribbled after the completion of the preparations for unmooring , and by which he kindly intimated that any one who had letters to send might send them . At length , about 3:30 in the afternoon , the captain 's gig was seen approaching the ship , the side was manned , and in a few minutes more Captain Hood stood upon his own quarter-deck . `` You may -- ah -- run my gig up to the davits , if you please , Mr Annesley , '' said he , `` and then we will -- aw -- weigh at once if -- ah -- you have everything ready . '' `` Quite ready , sir , '' replied the first luff , turning away to give the necessary orders . The gig was hoisted up and secured , the hands were sent aloft to loose the canvas , the topsails were sheeted home and mast - headed , the jib run up , and , simultaneously with this , the capstan-bars were shipped , one of the ship 's boys mounted the capstan-head violin in hand , and to a merry air upon that instrument out stepped the men , the anchor was quickly run up to the bows , and with the last drain of the flood-tide the `` Juno , '' under topsails and jib , with a light north - easterly air of wind , glided with a slow and stately movement out of the harbour , squaring away directly down through the Solent as soon as we had cleared the anchorage at Spithead , instead of going out round the island to the eastward , as was at that time usual with men-o ' - war .