two hours after midnight
They began by tearing down all bulkheads , until they had reduced her to the merest shell , and in her sides they broke open so many ports that her gunwale was converted into the semblance of a grating . Next they increased by a half-dozen the scuttles in her deck , whilst into her hull they packed all the tar and pitch and brimstone that they could find in the town , to which they added six barrels of gunpowder , placed on end like guns at the open ports on her larboard side . On the evening of the fourth day , everything being now in readiness , all were got aboard , and the empty , pleasant city of Maracaybo was at last abandoned . But they did not weigh anchor until some two hours after midnight . Then , at last , on the first of the ebb , they drifted silently down towards the bar with all canvas furled save only their spiltsails , which , so as to give them steering way , were spread to the faint breeze that stirred through the purple darkness of the tropical night . The order of their going was as follows : Ahead went the improvised fire-ship in charge of Wolverstone , with a crew of six volunteers , each of whom was to have a hundred pieces of eight over and above his share of plunder as a special reward . Next came the Arabella .