The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1886-01-28
A PECULIAR CUSTOM,
n Ludiorous Practice In which Many
Ocean Travellers arc Compelled
to Tako 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 Pail Mall Gazette: One
OF the Oldest customs of the sea lately
came under my notice, and in such q
way as am not likely to forget. AS
usual after our 6 o'clock tea, we were
seated in the saloon enjoying our game
OF cribbage, when blast from the fog.
morn, mt to awaken the dead, put an end
to our cards. Hurricdly wo made for
the deck, where sight never to be for
gotten mot our eyes. The evening was
dark and cloudy, the moon entirely hid.
den, but tho deck was brilliantly illu-
minated with blue lights. From the fore.
castle was issuing q procession that
battles description. First walked Father
Neptune himself, leading on his arm his
young and beautiful vito, Amphitrite.
Neptune was dressed in long, white
flowing robes-that is, a niehtshirt:
around his hoad waved his gray locks,
blowing before the wind in every direc.
ton; his beard reached below his waist;
on his head he woro miter of such
tremendous size as to drive any bishop
wild with envy; in his hand he bore his
trident
His wife's dress was evidently on the
plan of beauty unadorned," for some
red paint, n small red flag, and a pair
OF red bathing-drawers constituted her
costume. Her flaxcn hair in curly
masses reached ker knees. Following
this august couple walked tho hero OF
the evening-the barber. Dressed all in
white, wearing q hat tho shape Of u
dicc-boX, half white, half black, with
curly white hair and whiskers, Ire was
sublime; but tho 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 1nquisition. Imagine stand
ing and gazing upon n bucket of -four
and water mixed to about the thickness
of liquid glue, of which you know you
will receive large share-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 bo 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 torturer camo two
policemen armed with cudgels and dark
lanterns. Behind them crowded tho
crew. In spite of the awful solemnity
Of the sccno, ono could not but admire
tho dark, cloudy sky, the sea blaze Of
phosphorescencc, the Pickering summer
lightning, tho grouping of the actors.
Hating before the after deck, Neptune.
in a loud voice, with such calm disre-
gard as to where he put his HIS as would
mako any classical author turn in his
grave, gave uttcrance, Earring that
some of the crow of this ship is such as
they ave not yet crossed tho loine, and
bin baptoizcd, my sons. ham ere to
sec them done So" Evidently Nep-
tunes intercourse with British sailors
has been to tho disadvantage of his olo-
quence.
The sailors, at the finish of Neptune's
speech, cheered loudly, while from their
midst stopped the two brawny police
men, one OF whom was nigger from
Dcmerara, and seized upon T. Mean
while tho torturer was not idle. He had
seated himself upon low stool, with
his bucket before him, in his left hand n
brdsh like housemaid's broom, while
with his right he was sharpening his
razor on the companion-ladder ratings.
Alas for poor II. He stood smiling be-
fore his executioncr, who, evidently
thinking the occasion far too solemn to
smile at, put an end to his innocent
mcrrimcnt by inserting rs much as he
possibly could of his mixture into his
mouth. While ho was engaged in
choking and splitting out what he could
OF the connection, his head was being
covered to such m extent us to render
his features quite indistin guishable.
Then that awful razor came into use, its
broad. rusty edge scraping away the
dough like n plow in clay SOIL But
how difficult it is to take the dough out
OF ono's eyes and mouth with razor
blade three feet long, one can not i'm
agino till one has tried! His satanic
majesty, / moan the barber, having
Scraped of as much as pleased his
fancy, the 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.
L was the noxt victim, and went
through the same terrible routine; but
at last it was all over, and / issued from
the cold-water cure quito ready to see
the TIN in treating the others to their
dose. 1t was novel experience, and
one not likoly to be forgotten. Then
followed the others who had not crossed
the line, some half-dozen 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 tho place had wished the bar
Der in when was being shaved. All
this he endured rather than face his
shaving, or, should say, shaving his
face. He was quickly dragged upon
the scene, and paId the penalty of his
fear by receiving a double dose. Soon
after this tho other, boy, was found
concealed in a sail in tho rigging; he,
too, got what he deserved for trying to
escape justice. After all wero baptized,
we had some songs and dances, tho bar
ber being especially good at the latter,
and giving us some excellent clog-dances
and breakdowns. Poor Neptune had
terrible trouble with his wife, who, sud-
denly discovering herself among n lot
of sailors, became "skittish" h"--naturally,
what woman would notP The songs
and dancing finished, gTOg handed all