About midnight
Six bells struck on deck , and all the officers , including the captain , adjourned to the bridge , which was a useful institution on such occasions as the present . A sharp watch had been kept by Lieutenant Flint in charge ; but though the night was clear , nothing had been made out in the direction of the shore . All lights on board had been put out , and the Bronx went along in the smooth sea as quietly as a lady on a fashionable promenade , and it was not believed that anything could be seen of her from the shore . About midnight the lookout man aloft reported that he could see a twinkling light . It was promptly investigated by Mr. Amblen , who went aloft for the purpose . He was satisfied that it was a light in some house in the village , probably in the upper story . It soon disappeared , and it was thought to be occasioned by the late retiring of some person .