noon
Around him grew _ castanha _ trees with nuts in shells like cannon-balls that hung high over his head ; palms with leaves so enormous that one could shelter an entire encampment ; and birds of species he had never seen before fluttered among the branches . The air was saturated with the heavy though not unpleasant odor of vanilla beans . It was indeed a strange land but Oomah was too ill to take much heed of his surroundings . At noon he could go no further . The ground seemed to rise toward his flushed face and then smote him such a blow that all grew black before his eyes . When he awoke the screeching of the cicadas warned him that the day 's end was at hand . The fever had relented and he felt somewhat refreshed .