The Seventeenth Centiuy 23 



of wine or something equally pleasing, then take their duckings, finally "toute cette cérémonie 

 se termine par des resiouyssances & débauches excessives." 



Most important, however, is his telling how carefully he had asked for word as to how it all 

 began and what it meant, with no satisfaction. Netherlanders explain it as insurance against 

 tropical disease, the reason for their sea bathing. Dutertre is not convinced, he noting no dif- 

 ference between bathers and non-bathers as to health. For himself he thinks it all goes back to 

 those hardy souls that first dared to venture into the regions deemed by St. Augustine and many 

 others dry, sterile, vminhabitable lakes. When those adventurers found themselves in a new world 

 they worked out a sort of baptism such as is given to Christians soon after birth, "et en 

 effet, on se sert encore du mot de baptiser sous la tropique, pour exprimer cette cérémonie." 



That was the best he could do 125 years after Pannentier, and today, 300 years after Du- 

 tertre, we can say little more as to documentary or legal proof. His surmises differ httle 

 from ours. 



Note too how the worthy cleric felt no need to object to the 'Tsaptising" as sacrilegious; 

 indeed he is one of the first to use the phrase "baptiser sous la tropique," today more usual in 

 French than the EngUsh "crossing the line." 



1658 



Ondertusschen behielden wy noch de gewenste Noord-ooste wint, soo dat 

 verhoopten voorspoedigh de Linie te passeeren: alwaer de Schepen somtijts, 

 door stilten ofte contrarie winden, een goet getal van dagen komen te consu- 

 meeren, met een gevolg van rasende koortsen en brandige sieckten in't volck, 

 causeerende vv'egens d'onhjdelijcke hitte, waer door en bloet en geesten 

 nootsakehjck moeten komen te ontstecken. Doch ons belangende, quamen 

 voorspoedigh, en noch in't laetste van May, soo verre in't Zuyden, dat op de 

 middagh de Son begonden in't Norrden van ons te sieh; passeerende kort 

 daer aen de Linie Aequinoctiael; aldaer onsen Macker de Fluyt Leerdam, de 

 Cours twee streeken westehjcker setten. 



(Wouter Schoutens Oost-Indische voyagie. t' Amsterdam, 1676. p. 4.) 



It was another Schonten, Willem Comehsz Schouten, of Hoom, who crossed in 1615 and told 

 US nothing more about the event than that he crossed about noon and had a south southeast wind. 

 His discovery of Cape Horn was recognized at the time as of real importance. That seems to 

 justify including it in this gathering, even if it tells us nothing about how or whether the shift in 

 the sun was marked. 



Once more does a Schouten, Wouten Schouten this time, sail to the East Indies; once more 

 does a Schouten cross the Hne and say nothing about it other than to give thanks for his good luck 

 in making speedy passage. Though neither Schouten tale tells of special ceremonies to mark the 

 crossing, it seems well to include them as typical logbook entries of outstanding voyages ; though 

 Walter Schouten, to be sure, does talk more about vidnd and weather condition as affecting health 

 and conduct Üian we find in the usual log. The 1658 voyage was important enough to call for a 

 German translation printed at Amsterdam the same year as the Dutch original, and by the same 

 pubhshers, Jacob van Meurs and Johannes van Someren. The German translation done by "J. D." 

 runs as foUows for this paragraph: 



Inzwischen hatten wir den Nord-Osten Wind stets nach unserm willen, so, 

 dass wir die HofiFnung machten, die Linie glückhch und bald zu erreichen: 

 woselbst die Schiffe bissweiln, aus mangel des Windes, still liegen bleiben 

 müssen, oder durch wiedriges Wetter lange Zeit auffgehalten werden, 

 wodurch aUerley hitzige und tobsüchtige Fieber und Kranckheiten verur- 

 sachet werden; massen durch die unleidliche Hitze, das Geblüt entzündet 

 wird. Was vins betrift, schifften wir glücklich under weg, xmd kamen noch 



