noon
Of a sudden my feet struck ground , and I waded thirty paces along a shelf that was under water till my paces lifted to the dry beach . But by this time I was fearfully exhausted ; I could scarcely breathe . My legs and arms were numbed to the weight of lead . The atmosphere was warm , but not unbearably so -- not hotter than it had been at noon in the ship . Steam crawled up from every pore , like the drainings of smoke from damp straw , but it did not add to the distress of my breathing . I made shift to stagger onward till I had gone about fifty feet from the wash of the sea . Nature then broke down ; my knees gave way , I stumbled and fell -- whether in a swoon or whether in a death-like slumber , I can not say ; all I can tell is that when I awoke , or recovered my senses , the sun stood fifteen degrees above the horizon , and I opened my eyes upon a hot and dazzling sky .