158 Crossing the Line 



1849, continved 



thing, so it would go under the ship. All being ready, the poor devu was 

 tumbled overboard. He would sink far enough for the ship to pass her bows 

 over him, and the rope aft, being hauled taut, would bring him square under 

 the ship. The rope forward was slacked away, on, just enough to go aft on 

 the ship, as wished for. 



As soon as the man came up to the rudder, a dozen or more men would clap 

 on the rope and bowse him over the taffrail in on deck, most often insensible, 

 by bringing him up heels first. A good deal of the water he had swallowed 

 would run out. It was a barbarous custom and should have been stopped 

 long before it was. 



(Nelson Cole Haley. Whale hunt. New York, 1948. p. 36-42.) 



Noteworthy as one of the rather few stories staged on a whaler. 

 Reprinted with permission of Ives Washburn, Inc., the publisher. 



In good time making the desired longitude upon the equator, a few leagues 

 west of the Galhpagos, we spent several weeks chassezing across the Line, 

 to and fro, in unavailing search for our prey. For some of the hunters believe, 

 that whales, like the silver ore in Peru, run in veins through the ocean. So, 

 day after day, daily; and week after week, weekly, we traversed the self- 

 same longitudinal intersection of the self-same Line; tul we were almost 

 ready to swear that we felt the ship strike every time her keel crossed that 

 imaginary locaUty. 



(Herman Melvule. Mardi: and a voyage thither. New York, 1849. v. 1, 

 p. 1^15.) 



Once more mention by a whaler, once more a crossing with no ceremony — but worth 

 quoting for tlie sake of Melville. "Chassezing" is a rather unusual variant, actually closer to its 

 French origin, of the usual "sashy" or "shashy" used by the square dance announcer or by any- 

 one meaning "to dance around" or "to go to and fro." 



Apropos of repeated crossings. Admiral Leland P. Lovette wrote me: "In 1925, when in the 

 U.S.S. Memphis returning from Australia and New Zealand, we did much the same thing. For 

 two days we ran eastward along tlie Line, going back and forth a few times each day, so that 

 all hands could say they had crossed the Line say fifty times. Admiral Harry Yamell then com- 

 manding the Asiatic Fleet, having crossed many times, thought it novel before the U.S.S. Augusta 

 crossed on a following day, to be catapulted in a plane and flown over before nightfall. All of 

 this helps for the Tjuild up' with a crew who are to get the works the next day." 



February 27 (Tuesday): Today we enter the tropics and last night for the 

 first time the Portuguese Cross became visible above the horizon. Read a 

 little in the hope of reviving my astronomical knowledge, but Spanish makes 

 slow progress. 



March 4 (Sunday): At 11 a. m. had service by Mr. Fitch. . . . Most of the 

 crew sat grouped bare-headed upon the floor, forming a "toute ensemble" 



