twelve o’clock
And here I may explain that every day , when the sunlight falls upon the central altar , and the trumpets sound , a burnt sacrifice is offered to the Sun , consisting generally of the carcase of a sheep or ox , or sometimes of fruit or corn . This event comes off about midday ; of course , not always exactly at that hour , but as Zu-Vendis is situated not far from the Line , although -- being so high above the sea it is very temperate -- midday and the falling of the sunlight on the altar were generally simultaneous . Today the sacrifice was to take place at about eight minutes past twelve . Just at twelve o'clock a priest appeared , and made a sign , and the officer of the guard signified to us that we were expected to advance , which we did with the best grace that we could muster , all except Alphonse , whose irrepressible teeth instantly began to chatter . In a few seconds we were out of the court and looking at a vast sea of human faces stretching away to the farthest limits of the great circle , all straining to catch a glimpse of the mysterious strangers who had committed sacrilege ; the first strangers , mind you , who , to the knowledge of the multitude , had ever set foot in Zu-Vendis since such time that the memory of man runneth not to the contrary . As we appeared there was a murmur through the vast crowd that went echoing away up the great dome , and we saw a visible blush of excitement grow on the thousands of faces , like a pink light on a stretch of pale cloud , and a very curious effect it was . On we passed down a lane cut through the heart of the human mass , till presently we stood upon the brazen patch of flooring to the east of the central altar , and immediately facing it .