six o’clock
Had the whole actually vanished into air , it could not have shot from my sight in a more abrupt and instantaneous manner . Positively , there could not have intervened the tenth part of a second between the disengagement of the basket and its absolute and total disappearance with all that it contained . My good wishes followed it to the earth , but of course , I had no hope that either cat or kittens would ever live to tell the tale of their misfortune . `` At six o'clock , I perceived a great portion of the earth 's visible area to the eastward involved in thick shadow , which continued to advance with great rapidity , until , at five minutes before seven , the whole surface in view was enveloped in the darkness of night . It was not , however , until long after this time that the rays of the setting sun ceased to illumine the balloon ; and this circumstance , although of course fully anticipated , did not fail to give me an infinite deal of pleasure . It was evident that , in the morning , I should behold the rising luminary many hours at least before the citizens of Rotterdam , in spite of their situation so much farther to the eastward , and thus , day after day , in proportion to the height ascended , would I enjoy the light of the sun for a longer and a longer period . I now determined to keep a journal of my passage , reckoning the days from one to twenty-four hours continuously , without taking into consideration the intervals of darkness .