five o’clock
The temperature of the atmosphere was so much cooler at that point that the aeronauts had to resort to their blankets and thick coverings . Ferguson was in haste to descend ; the covering of the balloon gave indications of bursting , but in the meanwhile he had time to satisfy himself of the volcanic origin of the mountain , whose extinct craters are now but deep abysses . Immense accumulations of bird-guano gave the sides of Mount Mendif the appearance of calcareous rocks , and there was enough of the deposit there to manure all the lands in the United Kingdom . At five o'clock the Victoria , sheltered from the south winds , went gently gliding along the slopes of the mountain , and stopped in a wide clearing remote from any habitation . The instant it touched the soil , all needful precautions were taken to hold it there firmly ; and Kennedy , fowling-piece in hand , sallied out upon the sloping plain . Ere long , he returned with half a dozen wild ducks and a kind of snipe , which Joe served up in his best style . The meal was heartily relished , and the night was passed in undisturbed and refreshing slumber .