eleven o’clock
But at last there were symptoms of an approaching change in the weather . The stars shone with rather less brilliancy , and on the 11th January the barometer fell slightly ; hazy vapours floated in the air , the condensation of which would raise the temperature ; and on the 12th January the wind veered to the south-west , and snow fell at irregular intervals . The thermometer outside suddenly rose to 15 ° above zero , and to the frozen colonists it was like the beginning of spring . At eleven o'clock the same morning all were out of doors . They were like a band of captives unexpectedly set free . They were , however , absolutely forbidden to go beyond the enceinte of the fort , in case of awkward meetings . The sun had not yet reappeared above the horizon , but it approached it nearly enough to produce a long twilight , during which objects could be distinctly seen to a distance of two miles ; and Hobson 's first thought was to ascertain what difference the earthquake had produced in the appearance of the surrounding districts .