eleven o’clock in the morning
The Nautilus passed the wide estuary formed by the mouth of the Rio de la Plata , and on April 4 we lay abreast of Uruguay , albeit fifty miles out . Keeping to its northerly heading , it followed the long windings of South America . By then we had fared 16,000 leagues since coming on board in the seas of Japan . Near eleven o'clock in the morning , we cut the Tropic of Capricorn on the 37th meridian , passing well out from Cape Frio . Much to Ned Land 's displeasure , Captain Nemo had no liking for the neighborhood of Brazil 's populous shores , because he shot by with dizzying speed . Not even the swiftest fish or birds could keep up with us , and the natural curiosities in these seas completely eluded our observation . This speed was maintained for several days , and on the evening of April 9 , we raised South America 's easternmost tip , Cape São Roque .