The proceedings were completed about 1100, ail Pollywogs 
having been duly initiated into the Royal u rder of Shellbacks by that 
time. As a mark of admiration for his sportsmanship, Davy Jones presented 
the Royal Flag to Steve Early prior to his departure for his finny ii.oyal 
Palace, a gesture fully concurred in by all Shellbacks, even Pal 
Steve Early, erstwhile "King of the Pollywogs", indited the 
following letter to His Royal Majesty, Neptunus Rex: 
"From: Ex-Xing of Pollywogs. 
To : Neptunus Rex, Davy J"ones and Members of the Royal Cort. 
Subject: Commendation. 
"1. V.e who have been so signally honored by admission to the 
Kingdom of the Sovereign of the S e as, desire to pledge you our undying 
loyalty and to express our wholehearted congratulations to you card your 
aides for the most entertaining and enjoyable initiation it ever bus been 
our good fortune to experience. 
"2. The Ship's Carpenter has been consulted. It is in accordance 
with his wish that I herein express individually his thanks to you one and 
all. 
"3. We recognize the fact that we are neophytes — mere infants. 
We are determined, however, to so conduct ourselves in afterlife that v.e 
may be adjudged competent and worthy to carry on the high traditions of 
Your Majesty's Most Imperial Domain. 
"4. Our only regret is that we ever were such lowly creatures, as 
in our present state of enlightenment we know Pollywogs to be. 
"5. To speak orthodoxicaily, we each can say for the first time in 
our lives :- 
"Today I am a Man" . 
STEPHEN T. E.RLY". 
