nine o'clock in the evening
We were within gun-shot , and had exchanged broadsides with the batteries , when the flotillas gained a small harbour , which prevented our making any further attempts . The Dryad made the signal to haul off ; it was quite time , as we had not more than four hours ' daylight , and were entangled among the shoals . The breeze , which had been fresh , now increased very rapidly , and there was every appearance of a gale . We worked out as fast as we could , and by nine o'clock in the evening we were clear of the sands , and in the open sea ; but the gale had sprung up so rapidly that we were obliged to reduce our sail to close-reefed topsails . With the sands under our lee , it was necessary to draw off as fast as we could , and we therefore carried a heavy press of sail all the night -- at last , the wind was so strong that we could only carry close-reefed maintop-sail and reefed fore-sail ; and with a heavy sea , which had risen up , we felt that we were in extreme danger . Daylight once more made its appearance . Our first object was to ascertain the position of the Dryad .