The Eighteenth Century 61 



offer to do any thing to discomposle you, I will [shaking her stick 

 at him] — d n me tight, if I don't." 



"Neptune, who perhaps knew the force of stick argmnent, gave 

 her a kiss, which produced a most engaging leer, from a pair of as 

 squinting eyes as, you ever saw; not upon the God, but upon the 

 fair dame: — But, damslets of my heart, you have not seen our 

 Wallet de Shavre; * we never travel vnthout him; look at him?" 

 A sailor with bushy spun yam, half flowered, with three large horse 

 combs, and a rusty piece of iron to shave with, made his advance. 

 If you had seen the figure, and the extended broom-stick, turning 

 him round to advantage, you must have laughed most heartily. 



"The captain told them the quantity of grog they were to be 

 regaled with, and that he hoped they would conduct themselves 

 with propriety; Amphytrite t wielded her stick, and swore by her 

 power they should; she then remounted the car, and the procession 

 moved slowly on by beat of drum; but not before the Goddess had 

 sung to the ladies with great humour: "When I was young, I could 

 bill Hke a dove," &c. 



"They proceeded into the waste, where a large tub of water was 

 placed with a plank over it, in order to introduce the new-commers 

 to a Southern latitude; on catching a novice, he was brought before 

 the judge, who was too arbitrary to hear an answer, but ordered the 

 Wallet de Shavre to proceed; in an instant his face is covered with 

 the hard-to-be-rubbed-out mixture of tar and grease, and the rusty 

 iron rasped over it; he is then asked, if he had ever crossed the Line 

 before; on answering "No," he is in hopes they have finished with 

 him; they bid him say "God save the King," which obliging him to 

 open his mouth, the wit then is to stick a piece of tarred rope in it; 

 in the confusion, the seat is easily drawn from under him, and souse 

 he ducks into the tub; in this "buck-basket" situation several buck- 

 ets of water are thrown over him, and he is pushed forward amongst 

 his laughing comrades. This ducking across the Line, as it is called, 

 frees them for ever after; and I could not help observing, how 

 anxious and active the first sufferers were to get others into the same 

 situation. After the sailors had finished, the soldiers began, and I do 

 not believe one escaped; they did not seem at first to relish it, but 

 seeing others as dirty as themselves, it ended in general laughter, and 

 in two hours Neptune and his wffe dwindled into mortals. They do 

 say, the lady is already very drunk; I beheve it, for she has met with 



* Why should not sailors as well have their Wallet de Shavres, as beaus their Valet de Chambres? 

 t This man is not only a compleat humourist, but has a cast of countenance that immediately 

 tells it: he often when singing reminds me of Edwin. 



