The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1825-06-09
VARIETY
CROSSING THE LINE.

1911 - i AN17
crihtd. but rarely with AS much live.
illness and hunor AZ in the following
extract from "a journal kept during a
voyage to the South Sea and Canton.
in 1896, and lately published in the
New York Daily Advertiser.
On the eth Dec. we crossed the
Line; aud about / O'clock commenc-
cd the trolic with the raw hands.
We were hailed from under the bow,
OF the ship. and demanded of whether
the vessels namc Was -, as
Neptune - had been cruising for us
several days. When we answered
III the affirmative, he would come on
board, aud Immediately made his ap-
pearance Owen the bows aCc0mpanis
ed by Mrs. Neptune (his wifc) and
his barber, having ordered :. his
boys MI, in his :. stone canoe with
paddles Of whalebone," Neptune
himself had on a red flannel cap, and
an old tarred par ut troWscrs, which
came a little below his knees. His
feet and legs, for about the height Of
a pair of half boots, were covered
with n coat OF slush and tar. which
he said kept the water ont, and pre-
vented the fish from picking at his
feet when he occasionally took lis
morning walks. An old Pee-jacket
in not very good repair was thrown
over his shoulders like a Spanish 10.
%quelatnrc q he wolc a red flannel
shirt. a cra>ato of red bunting, large
enough 10 cover tho luNcr part OF
his face, so that he could scarcely
set his trumpet to his mouth, aud len
his face So much concealed, that IL
puts it out of my power to describe
any OF the features excepting the
eyes, IN which there was nothing cX-
traordinary. His voice appeared
very Coarse and affected ; and lac
was very sprightly, although he said
he was - several hundred years OF
age"
His wife was rather fancifulIy
dressed, although very little OF the
female IN it., she had Il mans hat on
her head, tied under tho chin with a
rope yarn, and a great coat ticd
round her waist +; an American Jack
over her head ard shoulders answer
ed for a >eIl and shawl ; she was al
So ba cfJ0trd, with a bottle ofrum in
one hand and Il stick in the o
tier. Her features generally Acre
very masculine, her voice | could
rot Judge oil, as she had SO hard Il
cold Tat she could but Whisper. The
barber who accompanied them was
lndittcrently dressed, q had very 1T
tie about him that spoke his oCCupa-
ton at first view ; for his razor vas
a piece ofan old iron hoop, Welir ust-
ed, his lather made OF siush aud tar.
his brush an old pitCh-mop, and his
hone a coarse tilc, which served to
hnotCh rather than smooth the edge
of his razor. Tie acted in several
other capacities besides that Of bar
Der /; for he was ordered To call over
from his list, that part OF the crew
who had never before visited his
masters domiuiOns. This was more
formal than necessary, for, unaC-
conntablc as it may appear, Neptune
himself by some strange magic knew
every ono Of them az soon as he COnld
get his eyes upon them. 1t WASH IA
tural enough that he could know
which had and which had not visit
ed him before g: but that he could
know the latter by name may appear
strange; but so it was.
After shaking hands with the Cap
tain, and so on with all Of us old &C
quaintanCes. he said it a his duty,
as master of the Ocean, to proceed
in initiating into his family those new
visitors, Being nine in number,
they wcro ordered below, that pre-
parationS might be made. The la
thering pot was filled up and the ra-
Tor put into order. that they might
be we'll shaved before they should be
initiated. One was then called up
bl.ind-foldcd ; in this there seemed
10 be some freemasonry lie was
seated aver a hogshead oil water in
such a mannerthat by merely strik-
ing away a small supporter lac could
be made to fall in, and thus miShtbe
washed without Inconvenience. The
latter was put on, and he was asked
if he wished his upper lip shaved
but while answering in the attirma-
tive, the barber very carelessly filled
his mouth tall of lather. This 'cx-
cd him. Mhirh Maa not snrplIsIng