six o'clock
The little steamer followed the ship till she had passed the Battery , a repetition of the former salute , and then the tender sheered off , and went up North River , the ship proceeding on her course for the scene of her future exploits . The parting of Christy with his father , mother , and sister had been less sad than on former occasions ; for they believed , whether with good reason or not , that the son , brother , and lover was to be exposed to less peril than usual . Christy had received his sealed orders on board from an officer sent specially to deliver them to him in person ; and he was instructed to open the envelope off Cape Henlopen . At six o'clock the St. Regis was off Sandy Hook . Four bells , which was the signal to the engine room to go ahead at full speed , had been sounded as soon as the ship had passed through the Narrows . After the young commander had taken his supper , solitary and alone in his great cabin , he went on deck . No one shared his spacious apartment with him , and he was literally alone in his glory .