THE START 103 



placed at our service by the local inspector of the Gov- 

 ernment Harbor Department. 



But our own bodies also claimed one last civilized 

 feast of purification before entering on a life of savagery. 

 The bath-house of the town is a small timber building. 

 The bath-room itself is low, and provided with shelves 

 where you lie down and are parboiled with hot steam, 

 which is constantly kept up by water being thrown on 

 the glowing hot stones of an awful oven, worthy of hell 

 itself; w^hile all the time young queen (lasses) flog you 

 with birch twigs. After that you are rubbed down, 

 washed, and dried delightfully — everything being well 

 managed, clean, and comfortable. I wonder whether old 

 Father Mahomet has set up a bath like this in his para- 

 dise. 



