about six o'clock in the
morning
As soon as I had fairly recovered the use of my reason , I began to speculate as to the region of the country into which I emerged . If I had come directly through the centre of the earth , I knew , of course , just where I ought to be ; but this hardly seemed possible , considering how short a time it had required for my journey . It then occurred to me that I was really unable to form any accurate idea of the number of hours that had elapsed since I left the soil of Massachusetts ; for , before I had fallen a hundred feet , a whole age appeared to have passed . I knew that it was about six o'clock in the morning when I started ; and , on looking at my watch , I found that it had stopped at 6.45 , owing , as I afterwards ascertained , to the influence of magnetic currents upon the hair-spring . The country around was in a high state of cultivation , except in the immediate vicinity of the spot where I stood . This was rough and barren , and so situated that the small cavity in the earth from which I had just been released , would be very likely to escape observation . Thinking that it might be important for me to be able hereafter to identify the locality , I took a careful observation of its general bearings , and twisted together a few of the twigs that grew near the hole , but in such a manner as would not be likely to arrest attention .