ii6 Voyaye of the Novara. 



it would give occasion, had commenced the ceremony the pre- 

 ceding evening. Neptune, accompanied by an appropriate 

 retinue of mermaids, tritons, and nereids, appeared at sunset, 

 to announce with the utmost gravity to the Commodore, in a set 

 speech, the astounding news that the vessel was entering his 

 dominions,, demonstrating the fact mathematically by an im- 

 mense sextant, a chart, and pair of compasses a yard long, all 

 manufactured by the ship's carpenter, and claiming his right 

 to see the act of shaving and baptizing properly performed 

 on all those who for the first time came into his kingdom. 

 Amidst streams of water from the masts and fire-engines he 

 made his exit down the rope ladder in a blaze of blue fire, 

 followed by an ignited tar-barrel, which floated along like a 

 globe of fire on the mirror-like surface of the sea. 



The real farce, however, took place the next afternoon, 

 when Neptune re-appeared, accompanied this time by his 

 good lady and a hopeful youth, all decked out in real sea-god- 

 like attire, in a car drawn by six tritons, still accompanied 

 by his farcical retinue blowing a flourish on their bugles, when, 

 after a second set speech to the Commodore, the great ruler of 

 the waves declared that the ceremony was now to begin. 



Every sailor was obliged, whether he would or no, to undergo 

 a lathering with a nasty mixture of tar and grease, and submit 

 to be scraped by an immense tin razor ; which operation being 

 performed, the unfortunate suff^erer was thrown into a sail 

 suspended by its four corners, and there deluged from head to 

 foot from pails, pumps, hose, pots, dishes, and everything else 



