midnight
He had evidently had enough of close shaves for one day , and the moment he recognised that we should have another if he made the attempt to weather that group of rocks , he ordered the helm to be put up , and we passed to leeward of them , giving them a good wide berth . We had no stomach for again viewing surf-washed rocks at such close quarters as we had been fated to do that day . By the time that we were well clear of Les Stevenets night had fallen ; but for the previous hour the sky had been gradually clearing , so that by the end of the second dog-watch it was a fine , clear , star-lit night . The wind , too , was distinctly moderating ; while the sea , although still very high , was longer , more regular , and not quite so steep as it had been ; in a word , the gale had broken , and by midnight we were once more under courses and single-reefed topsails . By the end of the middle watch we were able to shake out the reefs in our topsails and set the topgallantsails , after which we hove about and headed south once more , passing well to windward of the Isle de Seins and its outlying reefs about noon next day . About a fortnight later , being at the time off Cape Ortegal , cruising under short canvas , we sighted at daybreak a brig in the offing , to windward , steering south , under a press of sail . She was , at the moment of discovery , some eight miles distant , and from her general appearance , and especially from the cut of her canvas , we judged her to be French , and a man-o ' - war .