two o'clock
The assistant surgeon who had belonged to the schooner was at the hospital , and there was not one to replace him when we sailed . However , we had one of the men belonging to the hospital -- a sort of dispenser -- who knew very well how to manage anything that was not very serious . The breeze had gradually died away , and we did not go more than three miles through the water ; and as our sails were much torn , we did not hold so good a wind . The consequence was that the distance between us and our antagonist was , by two o'clock , decreased to half a mile , and the fight became very warm . Our broadside guns were now called into play , and assisted us very much , as we directed them chiefly at her sails and rigging , while our long thirty-two-pounder was fired at her hull , pointed below her water-line . She had the advantage in number of guns , certainly ; but our large shots from the long gun were more destructive . About three we knocked away her fore-topmast , which enabled us to shoot ahead about a quarter of a mile , and increase our distance , which was a boon to us , for we latterly had suffered very much .