About ten o'clock in the morning
Like some great men of whom we occasionally hear , they were in the world before their time . In other words the month of May was about a week old , and there was a bright day to recommend it -- bright , only a little too much tinctured with March and April to be all enjoyable . The earth was still spongy , the water cold , the air crisp , and the sun deceitful . About ten o'clock in the morning Constantinopolitans lounging on the sea-wall were surprised by explosive sounds from down the Marmora . Afterwhile they located them , so to speak , on a galley off St. Stephano . At stated intervals , pale blue smoke would burst from the vessel , followed by a hurry-skurry of gulls in the vicinity , and then the roar , muffled by distance . The age of artillery had not yet arrived ; nevertheless , cannon were quite well known to fame .