The Twentieth Century 205 



of peril. Chaplain Teonge ( 1675 ) refers in his diary to the ducking from the 

 yardarm of men entering the Straits of Gibraltar for the first time, or being 

 required to pay one dollar in Heu. By the old laws, the mariner did not 

 remove his clothes from beginning to end of voyage, and Captain Woodes 

 Rogers, referring to the customary ducking "when entering the Tropic," adds 

 that this was of great benefit in enabling many "to recover the colour of their 

 skins which were grown very black and nasty." This may be symbolised in 

 the lathering and shaving of novices which is now part of the proceedings, 

 but there is no sort of supporting evidence to this effect. It seems more prob- 

 able that the lathering and other ministrations have grown up as part of the 

 mummery associated with any form of initiation. In any case, it is clear that 

 much of the traditional ceremony is indistinguishable from the universal 

 custom of "blooding" initiates, and so the final result is probably a combina- 

 tion of this custom and the symboHc remains of the original propitiatory 

 offerings to the sea-god. 



In the course of time, both the Equator and the Arctic Circle became the 

 scene of traditional ceremonies, as marking the limits of fresh enterprise, and 

 to those who had not previously crossed them the boundaries of the "tm- 

 known." 



The custom of paying forfeits, either in money or in kind, in order to avoid 

 the rigours of initiation, no longer obtains. 



Part II 

 Dramatis Personae 



King Neptune Doctor 



Barber 



Queen Amphitrite Barber's Assistant(s) King's Messenger 



Herald(s) 

 Trumpeter (s) 



Judge Policemen Head Bear (s) 



Judge's Clerk Bodyguard Bears 



Notes 



(i) The above characters are not all essential. On the other hand, certain additions are per- 

 missible, e.g. Mermaids, Ladies-in-Waiting, etc. 

 (ii) In a big ship, it is sometimes the practice for the principal parts to be taken by Officers or 

 Warrant Officers. When V.I.P.s are to take part in the Ceremonies, this is considered to be 

 essential, a special team of Officer Bears being enrolled to initiate them. 



Pakt III 

 The Preliminary Function 



The main ceremony of initiation, by its very nature, must rightly and 

 inevitably involve an element of horse-play, but the preliminaries can and 

 should be so handled as to make a lasting impression on those who witness 

 them for the first time. 



