64 Crossing the Line 



1796, continued 



most ridiculous manner, in order to represent the high and mighty god and 

 goddess of the ocean. These dieties have two attendants, one of which is 

 supposed to be a very humble inhabitant of the deep, on earth yclept a barber. 

 Mister Neptune greets you with a welcome to the tropic and an offer of a 

 bottle of milk and a newspaper that he is supposed to have got a few days 

 before from ashore, adding that he shall order a prosperous gale to carry you 

 to your intended port. This is what passes in the cabin and with the pas- 

 sengers, who order according to custom some rum, etc., by way of treat to 

 Neptune and his party for his visit. But the ceremony observed to the poor 

 devils of sailors who have never passed the line is not quite so courteous. 

 One of the Neptune's attendants seizes the unfortunate man, and after blind- 

 folding him, they place him on a pole put across a large tub of water. The 

 attendant then puts the small end of a speaking trumpet in his mouth, which 

 obhges the poor wretch to stretch it open prettv wide. Some questions are 

 then asked, such as, 'What countryman are you?' 'Where are you bound to?' 

 etc. etc. On his making the reply a quantity of salt water is poured down the 

 trumpet, a part of which of course finds its way towards the stomach. An oath 

 is then administered purporting that he is never to suffer any person to pass 

 the line without undergoing the like ceremony. As the person initiated into 

 these Deistical mysteries of the tropical latitudes is obliged to repeat this 

 oath, he is the whole time saluted with libations of the god's element, which 

 very much against his inclinations he is doomed to partake. Then comes on 

 the barber's work, who after daubing the face and head of the fastbound 

 stranger with the vüest of all possible compositions, of tar, grease, etc. etc., 

 proceeds to shave him with a piece of old iron, which not only takes away 

 the sweet-scented fine oily lather, but scrapes the face (carrying some 

 particles of skin with it) to that degree to cause bowlings most hideous. The 

 barber and attendant, by way of congé, and considering it absolutely neces- 

 sary that the face, etc., should undergo a washing, on a sudden pull away 

 the pole on which the victim was seated, and souse he goes into the tub of 

 water; thus ends the ceremony. The god and goddess take no share except 

 being spectators of the mischief they have made. The master of the transport 

 told me that in some ships, instead of letting the man fall into the tub, he has 

 seen a rope made fast round a sailor, and the poor mortal thrown over the 

 side and towed for some yards. This part of the ceremony the watery god did 

 not execute from our ship as she was travelling rather too fast — going at 

 least seven knots an hour. This same business was repeated on five of the 

 sailors, to the no small amusement of the redcoats. Barbarous as the cere- 

 mony was, I own I laughed most immoderately. 



(William Dyott. Dyott's diary, 1781-1845, a selection from the journal of 

 WiUiam Dyott, sometime general in the British army and aide-de-camp 



