six o’clock in the morning, January 8
Near midnight , seeing that all was quiet over the darkened waves as well as under the waterside trees , I repaired to my cabin and fell into a peaceful sleep . The night passed without mishap . No doubt the Papuans had been frightened off by the mere sight of this monster aground in the bay , because our hatches stayed open , offering easy access to the Nautilus 's interior . At six o'clock in the morning , January 8 , I climbed onto the platform . The morning shadows were lifting . The island was soon on view through the dissolving mists , first its beaches , then its summits . The islanders were still there , in greater numbers than on the day before , perhaps 500 or 600 of them .