four o'clock a.m.
And , assuming this supposition of mine to be correct , they will be certain to make for the nearest French port ; which , in this case , is Cherbourg . We will therefore resume our course toward Cherbourg , when , if we are lucky , we may get a sight of both the Indiaman and the privateer at daybreak , if this confounded fog will only lift . '' We accordingly squared away once more upon our former course , which we followed until morning without hearing or seeing anything of the vessels for which we were looking . This being our first night out , and my watch being the starboard watch , I was relieved by Lovell at four o'clock a.m. , and under ordinary circumstances should not have been called until seven bells , or half - past seven . But I was not greatly surprised when , on being called , I found that it was still dark , the time being five bells . It was Lovell who called me . `` George ! ''