four P.M.
But when we had once got fairly into action , I felt no more of this , and beheld a poor creature cut in two by a shot with the same indifference that at any other time I should have seen a butcher kill an ox . Whether my heart was bad or not , I can not say ; but I certainly felt my curiosity was gratified more than my feelings were shocked when a raking shot killed seven and wounded three more . I was sorry for the men , and , for the world , would not have injured them ; but I had a philosophic turn of mind ; I liked to judge of causes and effects ; and I was secretly pleased at seeing the effect of a raking shot . Towards four P.M. the firing began to abate , the smoke cleared away , and the calm sea became ruffled with an increasing breeze . The two hostile fleets were quiet spectators of each other 's disasters . We retained possession of nineteen or twenty sail of the line . Some of the enemy 's ships were seen running away into Cadiz ; while four others passed to windward of our fleet , and made their escape .