eight
o'clock
The former , however , poor man , died of his wounds shortly afterwards . During the night every effort was made to get the ship into a condition to renew the action . At daybreak we saw the French squadron draw up in a close head and stern line . By eight o'clock , having knotted and spliced our rigging , bent new sails , and otherwise refitted the ship , we stood down to offer battle to the enemy , but they had swallowed enough of our sixty-eight pounders , and about noon they bore away for Flushing . We followed until there was no hope of coming up with them , when our ship 's head was turned northward , and we steered for Yarmouth Roads , to get the severe damages we had received more effectually repaired than we could at sea . I afterwards heard that the large French frigate we had engaged was the _ Brutus _ , which had been a seventy-four cut down , and now mounted from forty-six to fifty guns . We saw men and stages over the sides of the French ships stopping shot-holes , and we heard that one of them had sunk in harbour .