about two o'clock in the afternoon
When we came down again John , very thoughtfully , said to me , `` Professor , you have had a very long , tiring day ; and when we reach the moon , we shall probably stay up several hours to look at it , so you had better take as long a sleep as possible . There will be no need to break your rest , for I 'm the younger , and will get about by six o'clock , and relieve M'Allister , who can go on all right up to then , as he has three hours less work to his credit than we have to-day . If your advice is needed , I will call you at once ; but , no doubt , we shall do very well till we arrive within a few thousand miles of the moon . We will slacken speed very gradually from about two o'clock in the afternoon , so as not to approach the orb too rapidly . '' I had , indeed , as he said , had a long , tiring day , having risen soon after four o'clock yesterday morning , and it was now nearly 2 `` A.M. '' by terrestrial time ; so , thanking him for his kind consideration , I bade them both `` good night , '' and gladly proceeded to bed , John following soon after . He was as good as his word , and actually allowed me to sleep on until nearly half-past three in the `` afternoon , '' when he roused me , and , having dressed , I snatched a hasty meal and then at once proceeded to the machine-room , where my first act was to look at the moon . There it was below us , but still slightly ahead of the _ Areonal _ ; and its magnificence was so overpowering , that it almost seemed to take my breath away , although I was fairly well prepared for the sight .