The Nineteenth Century 121 



the weather-bow, which he thought was a boat; soon after, an unknown voice 

 from the jib-boom hailed the ship; the officer of the watch answered; and 

 the voice conmianded him to heave to, as Neptune was coming on board. 

 The ship was accordingly hove to with every formahty, though going at the 

 rate of seven miles an hour; the main-yard squared, the head and after-yards 

 braced up. 



As soon as the ship was hove to, a young man ( one of the sailors ) dressed 

 in a smart suit of black, knee-breeches, and buckles, with his hair powdered, 

 and with all the extra finery and mincing gait of an exquisite, came aft on the 

 quarter-deck, and with a most poHshed bow, took the liberty of introducing 

 himself as gentleman's gentleman to Mr. Neptune, who had been desired 

 to precede his master and acquaint the commander of the vessel with his 

 intended visit. 



A sail had been extended across the forecastle by way of curtain, and from 

 behind this Neptime and his train, in full costume, shortly afterwards came 

 forth. 



The car of the god consisted of a gun-carriage: it was drawn by six black 

 men, part of the ship's crew; they were tall muscular fellows, their heads 

 covered with sea-weed, and they wore a very small pair of cotton drawers; 

 in other respects they were perfectly naked; theii- skins were spotted all over 

 with red and white paint alternately; they had conch-sheUs in their hands, 

 with which they made a most horrible noise. Neptune was masked, as were 

 many of his attendants, and none of the officers knew exactly by which 

 of the men the god was represented; but he was a shrewd hand, and did his 

 part very well. He wore a naval crown, made by the ship's armourer; in his 

 right hand he held a trident, on the prongs of which there was a dolphin, 

 which he had, he said, struck that morning; he wore a large wig made of 

 oakum, and a beard of the same materials, which flowed down to his waist; 

 he was full powdered, and his naked body was bedaubed with paint. 



The god was attended by a splendid court; his secretary of state, whose 

 head was stuck full of the quills of the sea bird of these latitudes; his surgeon, 

 with his lancet, pill-box, and his smelling-bottle; his barber, with a razor, 

 whose blade was two feet long, cut off an iron hoop; and the barber's mate, 

 who carried a small tub as a shaving-box; the materials within I could not 

 analyse, but my nose convinced me Üiat no part of them came from Smith's 

 in Bond Street. 



Amphitrite followed on a similar carriage, drawn by six white men whose 

 costume was like the others. This goddess was personffied by an athletic 

 ugly man marked with the small-pox, dressed as a female, with a woman's 

 nightcap on his head, ornamented with sprigs of sea-weed; she had a harpoon 

 in her hand, on which was fixed an albicore; and in her lap lay one of the 

 boys of the ship, dressed as a baby, with long clothes and a cap; he held in 

 his hand a marHnspike, which was suspended round his neck with a rope 

 yam — this was to assist him in cutting his teeth, as the children on shore 



