twelve in the morning
And he was not a little delighted , that this gradual change would be operating while we were at sea ; so as not to expose him to the invidious observations of people ashore ; on the same principle that dandies go into the country when they purpose raising whiskers . He would often ask his shipmates , whether they noticed any change yet ; and if so , how much of a change ? And to tell the truth , there was a very great change indeed ; for the constant soaking of his hair with oil , operating in conjunction with the neglect of his toilet , and want of a brush and comb , had matted his locks together like a wild horse 's mane , and imparted to it a blackish and extremely glossy hue . Besides his collection of hair-oils , Blunt had also provided himself with several boxes of pills , which he had purchased from a sailor doctor in New York , who by placards stuck on the posts along the wharves , advertised to remain standing at the northeast corner of Catharine Market , every Monday and Friday , between the hours of ten and twelve in the morning , to receive calls from patients , distribute medicines , and give advice gratis . Whether Blunt thought he had the dyspepsia or not , I can not say ; but at breakfast , he always took three pills with his coffee ; something as they do in Iowa , when the bilious fever prevails ; where , at the boarding-houses , they put a vial of blue pills into the castor , along with the pepper and mustard , and next door to another vial of toothpicks . But they are very ill-bred and unpolished in the western country . Several times , too , Blunt treated himself to a flowing bumper of horse salts -LRB- Glauber salts -RRB- ; for like many other seamen , he never went to sea without a good supply of that luxury .