midnight
`` The wind is rising every moment , and blowing straight into the harbour ; unless I mistake not , there will be no sailing tonight . '' This was soon evident to all . Signals were made from ship to ship , fresh anchors were let down , and the topmast housed . By midnight it was blowing a tremendous gale , which continued for three days . Several of the transports dragged their anchors and were washed ashore , and messages arrived from different parts of the coast telling of the wreck of many of those which had sailed before the storm set in . The portion of the fleet which had sailed had indeed been utterly dispersed by the gale . Many ships were lost , and the rest , shattered and dismantled , arrived at intervals at the various French ports .