noon
The surgeon talked , of course , learnedly about melancholic humors , and his liver 's being `` adust by the over-pungency of the animal spirits , '' and then fell back on the universal panacea of blood-letting , which he effected with fear and trembling during a short interval of prostration ; encouraged by which he attempted to administer a large bolus of aloes , was knocked down for his pains , and then thought it better to leave Nature to her own work . In the meanwhile , Cary had sent off one of the island skiffs to Clovelly , with letters to his father , and to Mrs. Leigh , entreating the latter to come off to the island : but the heavy westerly winds made that as impossible as it was to move Amyas on board , and the men had to do their best , and did it well enough . On the fourth day his raving ceased : but he was still too weak to be moved . Toward noon , however , he called for food , ate a little , and seemed revived . `` Will , '' he said , after awhile , `` this room is as stifling as it is dark . I feel as if I should be a sound man once more if I could but get one snuff of the sea-breeze . '' The surgeon shook his head at the notion of moving him : but Amyas was peremptory .