Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-06-24
FUN ON A WAR SHIP.
Neptune Boards the Lancaster and
Shnves ssRilly'. Chandler.

A letter written to the Baltimore san from
the United States flagship Lancaster, now on
the west coast of Africa, gives an interesting &C.
count of the ceremonies attendant upon the re-
ception of Neptune and his retinue when the
line was crossed:
At $50 a. m. Neptune came on board with a
retinue of thirty attendants. His guard was
dressed in fantastical costumes. and marched
fore and aft on the starboard side Of the deck,
the band in the meantime playing q lively air.
All hands were again called to muster. The
next performance was the dragging of the
dead horse" by Neptunes guard, who sang
songs while they pulled it about from forward
to the gangway, where it was hove overheard
sfgnifying that the advance money had been
paid and money put on the books. The dead
horse had been improvised out of bread-bags
cut in the shape of the animals head. 1t was
stuffed with straw, and the necks of two bottles
served for eyes; The whole was nailed 70 an
empty barrel, also covered with bagStuf, and
SO forming the body of the horse.
The most amusing characters in the retfnue
We're Dr. Ills, armed with syringe and box of
pills and two dudes. The latter were dressed
in blue cloth swalow-tailed coats, with brass
buttons. red collars, cuffs and faeings, and
swung canes. The officers who had not before
passed the line had to appear before Neptune
and his wife first. Before the indulgent king
pay SO and six bottles OF beer. An awning had
been swung low from the bridge IN The port
gangway. Beneath this was a tank filled with
salt water about waist deep, into which a hose
led. On the bridge was a tubful of lather made
of SoapSuds, molasses and flour. -Four figures
dressed as clowns stood by. two with white
about two feet long. The apprentice boys were
called up first in pairs. they Were seated on
camp cam, stools Or Ills felt their pulses and gave
avoid eating roast turkey or duck, and
concluded by asking if they liked roast
meahs 10 s saH as they oi penea h ahs1
full OF lather was thrown into their faces.
Then they were shaved with the wooden
tEn ,-f> \
occupants fell into the arms of two stalwart
naiads who duly soused them in the tank Of
water. and then they had paid the traditional
tribute to Neptune. With one exception the
bandsmen we've let off by each playing solo on
his particular instrument. Savasta, the second
leader, had volunteered to save his companions
from the ceremony. and instead they got of
and lie was Initiated.
The two dudes, before mentioned, were duly
plped over the starboard gaugway and received
with eight sideboys, and escorted Ly twenty OF
Neptune's naiads, and then taken before his
majesty t4y for presentation;
dude.
~ am Bill Chandler, ex-secretary OF the
Navy" was the reply.
"Iou sent this ship to the Congo against the
wishes OF the officers and crew." said the royal
parsonage in angry tones. land L condemn you
TO be ducked!' 1t WAS soon done.
and who are your said his majesty, addres.
sing the other dude.
Il am Mr.. Santord!'
"rhen you are the man who wrote the letter
from Nice TO Billy Chandler about our officers
while the Lancaster lay at Villefranche. eh?''
And Neptune assumed a rage
Yes, said Mr.. Sanford, me and Billy Chan.
dler fixed it all up
Neptune shook his hoary locks and uttered a
roar, which made the whales and dolphins
around the ship quail with fear, and in stem
torian tones relegated Mr.. Sanford to follow
the fate of Billy Chandler. He was turned over
TO The consideration of the fathers. BARRIERS and
lastly the bath, in all of which processes he
was treated so roughly as TO make the spec.a-
tors suppose that Mr.: Sanford was really being
treated to his desserts. When cxtricated from
his prosecutors he turned around and shook his
list at Neptune, which created immense merri-
ment"