noon
In vain they tried to light a fire . There was plenty of driftwood , but it was too wet ; so they had to eat the meat raw . Their appetites were thus quickly satisfied . At first the sky gave indications of an improvement in the weather , but by noon it came on to blow as hard as ever . They made all the signals they could devise to induce the people who still remained on the wreck to quit it , but they soon found by the wretches ' frantic gestures and maniacal shouts that they also had got hold of a cask of spirits , and were in as bad a condition as their comrades . They were soon indeed seen snapping their fingers , and dancing about the decks as if they were in a place of perfect safety . One poor wretch slipped overboard , but his companions , instead of trying to help him , only laughed and shouted the louder , nor did they appear to comprehend that he was drowning before their eyes .