The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1886-02-03
A PECULIAR CUSTOM.
A Ludicrous Practice I'm Which Many
Ocean Travellers are Compelled
to Take Part.

to Take Part.
A Cambridge undergraduate, now on
his way to the cape in trading vessel,
sends the following interesting commu
nication to the PdN ldU Gazette: One
of the oldest customs of tho sea lately
came under my notice, and in such a
way rs am not likely to forget. As
usual after our O'clock tea, we were
seated in the saloon enjoying our game
OF cribbagc, when blast from the fog.
horn, fit to awaken the dead, put an end
to our cards. Hurriedly We made for
the deck, where II sight never to be for
gotten met our eyes The evening was
dark and cloudy, the moon entirely hid.
den, but the deck was. brilliantly illu.
minated with blue lights. From the fore.
castle was issuing procession that
battles description. First walked Father
Neptune himself, leading on his arm his
young and beautiful wife, Amphitritc.
Neptune was dressed in long, white
flowing robcs-that is, nightshirt:
around his head waved his gray locks,
blowing before the wind in every dircc-
ton; his beard reached below his waist;
on his head he wore mitcr of such
tremendous size ;ls to drive any bishop
wild with envy; in his hand he bore his
trident.
His wifc's dress was evidently on the
plan of beauty unadorned," for some
red paint, a small red flag, and pair
of red bathing-drawcrs constituted her
costume. Her flaxcn hair in curly
masses reached kcr knees Following
this august couple walked the hero Of
the evcning-thc barber Dressed all in
hot l,n -
dicc-boX, half white, half black, with
curly white hair and whiskcrs, he was
sublime; but the sublime changed into
the awful when one perceived that he
carried in his hands instruments of tor
turc rivaling in their latent cruelty even
those of the lnqustion. Imagine stand
and water mixed to about the thickness
of liquid glue. of which you know you
will receive large sharc-on your head
Recover, if you can, from that sight, and
look again. In his other hand he holds
razor of such magnitude that it would
not be i'll amiss for telling trees, and
think that soon that edge of rough,
rusty iron will be plowing its meander-
ing course over your innocent Jaws
Following this torturcr came two
policemen armed with cudgcls and dark
lanterns. Behind them crowded the
crew. In spite of the awful solcmnity
of the scene, one could not but admire
the dark, cloudy sky, the sea blaze of
phosphorcsccnce, the hickcring summer
lightning, the grouping of the actors
Hating before the after deck, Neptune,
in loud voice, with such calm disrc-
gard rs to where he put his HIS as would
make any classical author turn in his
grave, gave utterancc, Earring that
some of the crew of this ship is such as
they ave not yet crossed the loine, and
bin baptoizcd, my sons. ham ere to
see them done So" Evidently Ncp-
tunes intercourse with British sailors
has been to the disadvantage of his clo-
quence.
The sailors, at the finish of Ncptunc's
speech, cheered loudly, while from their
midst stepped the two brawny police
men, one of whom was niggcr from
Demerarn, and seized upon +. Mean
while the torturcr was not idle. He had
seated himself upon low stool, with
his bucket before him, in his left hand a
brush like q houscmaid's broom, while
with his right he was sharpening his
razor on the companion-laddcr ratings.
Alas for poor Il. He stood smiling be-
fore his exccutioncr, who, evidently
thinking the occasion far too solemn to
smile at, put an end to his innocent
merrimcnt by inserting as much as he
possibly could of his mixture into his
mouth While he was engaged in
choking and splitting out what he could
of the connection, his head was being
covered to such an extent as to render
his features quite indistingnshable
Then that awful razor came into use, its
broad, rusty edge scraping away the
dough like plow in clay soil. But
how difficult it is TO take the dough out
of oRo's eyes and mouth with razor
blade three feet long, one can not inn
aginc till one has tried! His satanic
majesty, | mean the barber, having
scrapcd of rs much rs pleased his
fancy, tho two policemen came to the
fore again, armed with buckets of cold
water, which, utterly regardless of what
part Of the victims body received the
water. they threw in quick succession
over him.
| was the next victim, and went
through the same terrible routine; but
at last it was all over, and l issued from
'nc cOlu-Watcr cure quite ready 10 see
the fun in treating the others to their
dose. II was II novel experience, and
one not likely to be forgotten. Then
followed the othcrs who had not crossed
the line, some hait-dozcn of them, but
two were missing. The police were
soon after them, but it was an hour be-
fore tho first was found, lying under
meath the boilers IN about the temper
aturc of the place had wished the bar
Der in when was being shaved. All
this he endured rather than face his
shaving, or 1 should say, shaving his
face. He was quickly dragged upon
the scene, and paid the penalty of his
fear by receiving n double dose Soon
after this the other, boy, was found
concealed in n sail in the rigging; he,
too, got what he deserved for trying to
escape justice. After all were baptized,
we had some songs and dances, the bar
bcr being especially good at the latter,
and giving us some excellent clog-dances
and brcakdowns. Poor Neptune had
terrible trouble with his wife, who, sud
derry discovering herself among q lot
of sailors, became "slSittish" naturally,
what woman would notP The songs