130 Crossing the Line 



1832, continued 



worse: dirty mixtures being put in their mouths & rubbed on their faces. 

 The whole ship was a shower bath, & water was flying about in every direc- 

 tion: of course not one person, even the Captain, got clear of being wet 

 thi'ough. 



(Charles Darwin. Diary of the voyage of H.M.S. "Beagle," edited from 

 the ms. by Nora Barlow. Cambridge, 1933. p. 22, 35-6, 38.) 



On the 26th of February as they were sailing down the coast toward Bahia, Darwin wrote 

 to his father: 



Since writing the first part of the letter, nothing has occured except 

 crossing the Equator and being shaved. This most disagreeable 

 operation consists in having your face rubbed with paint and tar, 

 which forms a lather for a saw which represents the razor, and then 

 being half drowned in a sail fiUed with salt water. 



1832-^6 



Les nautonniers de la Bretagne sont dans l'usage de baptiser celui qui passe 

 pour la première fois une rivière, un bras de mer, à moins qu'il ne se rachète 

 par de l'argent. 



( François Marie Guillaume Habasque. Notions sur le littoral des Côtes- 

 du-Nord. Saint Brieue, 1832-36. v. 3, p. 147. Reprinted in: Melusine, v. 2, 

 column 452 (1884-5).) 



1833 



[1833, after Jime and before October] On the fourth day the captain came 

 aboard and we resumed our voyage. Touching St. lago, one of the Cape 

 De Verde Islands, we crossed the equator in longitude 25 degrees west. 



Adventures wtth Neptune on the Line 



As we approached the equator some of the boys were sent aloft to "see 

 the hne." One reported that he saw "a blue streak" but was "not quite sure." 

 That evening Old Neptune came on board to pay his respects to his chil- 

 dren who were crossing the equator for the first time. All the sauors who 

 had never before crossed the Ihie were assembled on deck amidships. The 

 second mate, who plays the part of Neptune, takes his stand in the mizzen 

 chains, concealed from view, and in a deep voice cries, "Ship, ahoy!" "HaUooI" 

 responds the mate. "Heave to and let me come aboard!" says Neptune. "Hard 

 a lee!" orders the mate, and the ship is brought to the wind and Neptune is 

 seen climbing in over tlie raü. He accosts the mate and inquires if there are 

 any of his boys aboard the ship who have not been initiated. 



Neptune wears an old monkey-jacket. His beard is made of Manila and 

 reaches to his waist. On his head is a sou'wester hat fitted for the occasion. 

 He looks more hke Old Nick than Old Nep. The boys stand near the deck-tub 



