Appendixes — Crossing in Scandinavian Waters 229 



The author is preparing a book on the baptism of sailors in European 

 waters, on crossing the Tropics, the Artie Circle, the Line, etc., and would 

 be grateful to receive material and references from readers. It would be 

 interesting to have records from Enghsh ships of the Kullen-baptism. Ad- 

 dress : Handels- og S0f artsmuseet pa Kronborg, Helsing0r ( Denmark ) . 



Postscript 



Mr J. W. van Nouhuys informs me in a letter that he was baptized himself, on 

 passing for the first time what in Dutch is called the Kofmanslinie at Elsinore 

 ( Cape Kullen), on 28 July 1882, when on a voyage on board the Dutch bark 

 Frans from Schiedam to Riga. 



( Henning Henningsen. "Sailors' baptism in Scandinavian waters." Mar- 

 iner's Mirror (London) August 1954. v. 40, no. 3. p. 196-205.) 



Dr. Samuel Eliot Morison brought the article by Mr. Henningsen to my attention. A glance 

 showed how closely it was related to our subject in general, though differing slightly as to 

 locality and other details. Careful reading led further to admiration for the Üioroughness of 

 research and for the good use made of manuscript as well as printed sources. 



With Mr. Henningsen's generous permission his entire article is reprinted here, together with 

 the following discussions of the topic found in the "Queries" columns of the magazine. Four 

 of these notes appeared over forty years ago. Mr. Henningsen's query appeared in the issue 

 which preceded the publication of his article; the note signed "Bridport" appeared in the issue 

 which followed. 



Sea Ceremonies. — Jean Doublet, circa 1700, reports that some ceremonies, 

 similar to those practised on board ships crossing the hne or the tropic, were 

 indulged in on passing Elsinore. I beheve that at one time, probably before 

 1700, the same sort of thing took place on passing Gibraltar. Can anyone 

 quote instances of such a usage? — L.G. 



(Mariner's Mirror (London) January 1912. v. 2, no. 1, p. 31.) 



Sea Ceremonies. — Jal ( Glossaire Nautique ) gives considerable space to 

 the subject, "Baptême." The mock ceremony of baptism seems to have been 

 imdergone by those passing for the first time — in French or Dutch ships — 

 the Ras de Fonteneau, ( cap du Raz, the western limit of the English Chan- 

 nel) the two tropics; the Equator; the BarHngots or Barlings (rocks near the 

 mouth of the Tagus ) and Ûie Sound. Neither Dutch nor French, however, 

 whose different customs are quoted by Jal from Oexmehn, 1666, seem to 

 have used these ceremonies on passing Gibraltar. The form of the ceremony 

 as described by Oexmehn is very little different from that given by GuiUet 

 in his Dictionaire du Gentilhomme s.v. Bateme du Tropique ou de la Ligne 

 Equinoctiale. The victims first took a solemn oath (a book of navigation 

 representing the Gospel ) that they would, when the occasion arose, perform 

 upon others the exact ceremony that was to be performed upon them; they 

 were then forced to run forward from the mainmast between two rows of 

 tubs, at each of which men with buckets were stationed, who soused them 

 as they ran and gave them their "baptism." Father Neptune seems not to 

 have had any part in these early ceremonies. 



