five o’clock in the evening
Happily for Gideon Spilett , the animal in question did not belong to the redoubtable family of the plantigrades . It was only a koala , better known under the name of the sloth , being about the size of a large dog , and having stiff hair of a dirty color , the paws armed with strong claws , which enabled it to climb trees and feed on the leaves . Having identified the animal , which they did not disturb , Gideon Spilett erased `` bear '' from the title of his sketch , putting koala in its place , and the journey was resumed . At five o'clock in the evening , Cyrus Harding gave the signal to halt . They were now outside the forest , at the beginning of the powerful spurs which supported Mount Franklin towards the west . At a distance of some hundred feet flowed the Red Creek , and consequently plenty of fresh water was within their reach . The camp was soon organized .