seven o’clock in the evening
On January 27 , at the entrance to the huge Bay of Bengal , we repeatedly encountered a gruesome sight : human corpses floating on the surface of the waves ! Carried by the Ganges to the high seas , these were deceased Indian villagers who had n't been fully devoured by vultures , the only morticians in these parts . But there was no shortage of sharks to assist them with their undertaking chores . Near seven o'clock in the evening , the Nautilus lay half submerged , navigating in the midst of milky white waves . As far as the eye could see , the ocean seemed lactified . Was it an effect of the moon 's rays ? No , because the new moon was barely two days old and was still lost below the horizon in the sun 's rays .