one o'clock
Tom Meeks , who was leaning over John 's shoulder and watching the instrument-board , triumphantly announced presently that they were traveling at the rate of 280 miles an hour ! For thirty minutes or more John Ross kept the Sky-Bird going at this terrific speed , then he slowed up , and transferred into mono-engine gear , as there was no use in unnecessarily heating the power-plants . As the indicator of the speedometer retreated to 150 miles , he turned the throttle over to Bob Giddings , and said : `` Hold her at this rate , Bob ; it 's plenty fast enough for the present . '' It was a little after one o'clock when Paul and Tom announced land to the westward . After looking at the object , which surely had the appearance of land , Mr. Giddings laid down the glasses and consulted the chart . `` That 's undoubtedly the outer point of Nicaragua , '' he said ; and upon taking a look themselves with the binoculars , the others all agreed with him . Keeping the low-lying coastline of the continent on their right , and buffeted considerably by contrary winds which now began to make themselves manifest , Bob threw the automatic-pilot into gear at a suggestion from John , as this insured greater safety , and steered with the rudder only .