eleven o'clock
Therefore I had ceased to refer to a subject the mention of which was invariably followed by much annoyance , and hence the preternatural sensitiveness which caused me to suspect , rather than to absolutely detect , a quiver of suppressed laughter in the voice of the man who on this morning awoke me with the announcement of `` Your shaving-water , sir . '' The temporary irritation arising out of this painful and humiliating suspicion had one good result , however ; it effectually awoke me and enabled me to promptly turn out ; while , but for it , the late hours of the previous night might otherwise have caused me to doze off again , and so become guilty of the quite unpardonable offence of keeping an admiral waiting . As it was , I was dressed and down in the breakfast-room so promptly that the admiral rather kept _ me _ waiting ; which was quite a different matter . By eleven o'clock however , we were on board the `` Vigilant ; '' and after going carefully through and over the craft -- accompanied by myself , Tom Hardy , and the carpenter 's mate -- the old boy came to the conclusion that she was strong enough to go round the world if required , and that he therefore need have no hesitation whatever about ordering us to proceed to England forthwith . He would , however , he said , take it upon himself to detain us until evening ; by which time he would have ready some despatches of his own , which he wished to forward . We utilised the time by filling up provisions and water ; a task which was left to the superintendence of Tom Hardy , while Smellie and I had a scramble through the gun-galleries and to the telegraph-station at the summit of the Rock ; and just as the sunset-gun boomed out on the evening air we weighed and stood out of the bay , with a light north-easterly breeze , passing Tarifa Point shortly before midnight . By breakfast-time on the morning but one following , we were abreast of Cape Saint Vincent .