midnight
My memories took wing toward France , in the wake of those zodiacal stars due to twinkle over it in a few hours . The moon shone in the midst of the constellations at their zenith . I then remembered that this loyal , good-natured satellite would return to this same place the day after tomorrow , to raise the tide and tear the Nautilus from its coral bed . Near midnight , seeing that all was quiet over the darkened waves as well as under the waterside trees , I repaired to my cabin and fell into a peaceful sleep . The night passed without mishap . No doubt the Papuans had been frightened off by the mere sight of this monster aground in the bay , because our hatches stayed open , offering easy access to the Nautilus 's interior . At six o'clock in the morning , January 8 , I climbed onto the platform .