At Sea 21 



mains south of the equator. During the forenoon of 

 the day there were many conferences between the "com- 

 mittee of arrangements" and the proprietors of a circus, 

 who were traveling as second-class passengers. At the 

 appointed hour a procession took place upon the upper 

 deck. It was headed by Neptune and his daughter. 

 Neptune was clothed in a sea-green robe, held his 

 trident, wore a crown of gilded pasteboard, surmount- 

 ing his flowing locks which were composed of strands 

 of oakum. The discerning eye detected under the 

 disguise the rotund outlines of the purser; and under 

 that of his daughter the somewhat diminutive form 

 of the second steward. 



The reason for the frequent conferences, which had 

 been held with the owners of the side-show in the morn- 

 ing, now became plain. The theatrical properties of 

 the troupe had been brought into requisition. The 

 chief steward arrayed as a ballet dancer, and the barber, 

 wearing the mask of a clown, on his head a fiery red 

 wig and in his hands a razor three feet long made of 

 gilded wood were prominent among the merrymakers. 

 A motley company composed of the ringleaders in 

 'the smoking-room crowd" wearing masks and strange 

 disguises followed. A platform had been erected in 

 front of the swimming tank. On it the chief steward, 

 provided with a whitewash brush and a big bucket of 

 paste, took his place. Beside him stood the barber, 

 stropping his gigantic razor upon a yard of burlap tied 

 to a derrick-boom. The first victim was a young lady 

 who seemed to feel that it was her duty to be initiated. 

 She came forward smiling, wearing a silk gown. She 

 seated herself upon the barber's stool. Her head was 

 anointed with paste, the barber made a few passes 

 with his mimic razor, and then in a twinkling, heels 



