eight o'clock
Then she was warped out of the basin , her crew turned over to her from the receiving hulk , and she was taken out to Spithead to receive her powder . During all this time my father had remained at Portsmouth , quartered at the `` George , '' spending as much as possible of his time with me in the dockyard ; and after the work of the day was over I generally -- by favour of Mr Adair , the first lieutenant -- dined and spent the evening with him , the discipline of the receiving hulk not being very severe , and nobody caring much at what time I went aboard at night so long as I was present at muster next morning . But on the day that the crew were turned over , and the ship was taken out to Spithead , these little indulgences came to an end ; for the frigate was no sooner at anchor than , before the powder hoy arrived alongside , Captain Vavassour came off , the crew were mustered , and he read his commission and hoisted his pennant , from which moment the strictest naval discipline became the order of the day . Nevertheless , when at the conclusion of the above-mentioned ceremony the skipper ordered his gig and returned to the shore , I obtained leave to accompany him , upon condition that I reported myself on board again by eight o'clock . I therefore again , and for the last time during that cruise , dined with my father , after which he accompanied me to the Hard , bade me a most affectionate good-bye , and stood watching the wherry which was conveying me off to the ship , until the boat passed out of the harbour and we vanished from his sight . Not until long afterward did I know that , instead of starting for home the next morning , as he had talked of doing , he crossed over to Gosport the first thing after breakfast , walked to Haslar , and stationed himself on the beach at Gilkicker Point , watching the frigate until she had got under way and passed out of sight to the southward and eastward . The next morning , at daylight , Blue Peter was hoisted at the fore-royal masthead and a gun fired as a signal that the ship was about to sail ; boats were hoisted in and stowed , stock was brought alongside , and the order was given to clear the ship of strangers -- sailors ' wives and sweethearts who had come off to say a last good-bye , bumboat women who were making a final desperate effort to obtain a settlement of their accounts , and tradesmen of all kinds engaged upon the same errand or intent upon palming off upon the men otherwise unsaleable stock .