Relation 
[1669 
After the Line is pass’d, the seamen are accustom’d to 
bathe those who have not hitherto pass’d it, & they call 
this Baptism , & as there were few in our Vessel who had 
pass’d it, they perform’d this Ceremony thus. 
They commence generally with the Ship when it has 
not before pass’d. The Captain or Commandant is 
oblig’d to give something to the Crew; but our Vessel 
was exempt from this, having formerly pass’d the Line on 
two occasions. We chose an old Gunner, who had pass’d 
the Line, to perform the Ceremony. They put on him an 
old Night gown & fasten’d several bottles about him, after 
having beard’d him like a Mask; then they made him sit 
down & put before him a seat on which was plac’d a Book 
of Marine Charts & a naked Cutlass, the Book being 
open at the place of the Chart where the Line is mark’d. 
The most notable persons of the Vessel, who had never 
pass’d the Line, were the first who, one after the other, 
saluted the Provost , for it was thus they called this bearded 
man. Bending their knees to the ground, & with their 
heads bare, he made them put their hands on the book 
& swear that whenever they should repass under the 
Line with persons who had not passed it they wou’d make 
them do the like. Afterwards he threw a drop of water 
on their heads with a silver cup, & pass’d the cutlass 
over their necks. We were fifteen or twenty persons 
treated thus gently ; each gave according to his will where¬ 
with to regale the Crew. 
The others were not treated so gently ; for after having 
made the same oath & given what they wish’d, the 
Provost passed the cutlass over their necks, when his crew 
duck’d them from head to foot in a tub full of salt water. 
And after they had got out, there were some Sailors who, 
having large buckets full of water, dash’d them over their 
bodies. It was thus they performed this Bathing. The 
same thing is practis’d in other bad passages, when they 
