three in
the morning
Off the mouth of the Humber they ineffectually manoeuvred with a view of drawing out a king 's frigate , reported to be lying at anchor within . At another time a large fleet was encountered , under convoy of some ships of force . But their panic caused the fleet to hug the edge of perilous shoals very nigh the land , where , by reason of his having no competent pilot , Paul durst not approach to molest them . The same night he saw two strangers further out at sea , and chased them until three in the morning , when , getting pretty nigh , he surmised that they must needs be vessels of his own squadron , which , previous to his entering the Firth of Forth , had separated from his command . Daylight proved this supposition correct . Five vessels of the original squadron were now once more in company . About noon a fleet of forty merchantmen appeared coming round Flamborough Head , protected by two English man-of-war , the Serapis and Countess of Scarborough .