The Nineteenth Century 87 



of the night. Half a degree more to the north, and vmder the equator itself, 

 we found the current N.W. 86° 47 miles in twenty-four hours. 



(Otto von Kotzebue. A voyage of discovery into the South Sea and 

 Bearing's Straits . . . undertaken in the years 1815-1818, in the Ship 

 Rurick. London, 1821. v. 1, p. 110-111.) 



The preparations for the ceremony were unusual. How lucky Kotzebue was with weather 

 good enough to let the ship be "brilliantly illuminated" and the whole crew be "in their best 

 clothes." Did they take the baptism in those 'Taest clothes" by a token drop of water on their 

 heads, or thus clad be ducked, or have time to change? 



Later crossings by Kotzebue are noted under 1818 and 1823. 



[September] 23d - 25th. The west wind stiU continued, to our great astonish- 

 ment; it was a sort of phenomenon in these regions, and had hitherto been 

 very much in oiur favour. But with regard to phenomena, chance produced 

 one of a much more extraordinary kind on the 23d, when we crossed the 

 Line in 0° latitude, 0° longitude, and 0° decUnation. This is a circumstance 

 which chance alone may perhaps renew only once in a century, since it is 

 necessary to arrive precisely at the first meridian about noon, in order to 

 pass the Line at that same houi, or to arrive there at the same time with 

 the sun. 



This was a day of great merriment and disorder among the crew: it was 

 the ceremony which the Enghsh sailors call the Christening. The sailors 

 dress themselves up in the most grotesque way; one is disguised as Neptune 

 and all persons on board the ship who have not previously crossed the Line, 

 are formally presented to him; an immense razor is passed over their chins, 

 •wiûï a lather made of pitch; buckets of water are throv^Ti over them, and 

 the loud btnsts of laughter which accompany their retreat, complete their 

 initiation into the grand mystery. No one is spared; and the officers are 

 generally more roughly used than the lowest of the sailors. The Admiral, 

 who had previously amused himself by endeavouring to alarm us with the 

 anticipation of this awful ceremony, now very courteously exempted us from 

 the inconvenience and ridicule attending it. We were with every mark of 

 attention and respect presented to the rude god, who paid to each of us a 

 comphment after his owti fashion; and thus our trial ended. 



The Emperor was scrupulously respected dmring the whole of this satur- 

 nahan festivity, when respect is usually shevvm to no one. On being informed 

 of the decorum which had been observed with respect to him, be ordered 

 a hundred Napoleons to be distributed to the grotesque Neptune and his 

 crew, which the Admiral opposed, perhaps from motives of prudence as well 

 as politeness. 



( Emmanuel Augustin Dieudonné Las Cases, Comte. Memorial de Sainte 

 Hélène. Journal of the private life and conversations of the Emperor 

 Napoleon at Saint Helena. London, 1823. v. 1, p. 189-190. ) 



Three months before the 23rd of September the divinity that "doth hedge a king" would have 

 left no doubt as to how the Emperor of France was to be treated when his ship crossed the line. 



