Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1889-01-31
SAVANNAH, TENNESSEE, THURSDAY,

hilarity with these serene, old-time
oceanic pictures; but when Jack steps
out of his armor, carries HIS hair to
the spinyarn-winch and works pig
tail OF it, slaves his casks OF canary,
and breaches his pdhtbeohs of rum,
then the "shindy" begins. AS good
an account as any of the modern
ceremonies practiced in crossing
the equator is given by Marryat.
Indeed, the Jacks Of his days
we're so obstinate in the observation
OF this practice that if the chip course
did not carry her across the line the
crew perfcfmed the ceremony in the
tropics. So says Marryat in Frank
Midway" and he shows us the picture
by introducing Neptune riding on car
made of a gun-carrlage, drawn BY six
semi-nude seamen painted black and
spotted with yellow paint Neptune
has long beard and ripglats OF oakum.
On his head is an iron crown and in his
hand a trident with small dolphin be-
tween its prongs. His attendants are
secretary, armed with a bundle Of
sea-tq@i quilts, a surgeon with lancet.
pill-heS, and so forth, and q barber
With d large wooden razor, the blade of
which is formed OF an iron hoop. This
barber has Il mate who makes his APP
| peaeance with q small tub for shaving
box. With Neptune comes Amphitrite,
habited in woman's night-cap with
sea-weed for ribbons. She carries d
boy on her lap as baby, whose teeth
she helps to cut with marlin spike,
Three rough sailors dressed as nymphs
form her fetinue. These ladies are
furnished with combs, mirrors and pots
OF red paint. Here we have the prin-
cipal actors Of the play; The people
who have not crossed the equator pro-
vide the fun.
A sheep=pen is made water-tight and
/ filled. The victim is blindfolded and
seated upon platform placed upon the
tank. He is then shaved. He is wise
if he docs not demonstrate, for man
stands BY with tar brush which he
will pop into his mouth II he parts his
lips. Half the skin OF the face having
been removed amidst roars of laughter
from the assembled salts the sufferer
is plunged backward into the water.
Hone, in his Table Book describes
the ceremony as performed on board
whaling vessels early in the present
century, either on the first day OF May
or on crossing the arctic circle. The
fellows who were to be dealt with were
kept below. A BARRIERS shop was fitted
up with u sign: "Neptuno's Easy SHAY.
ing Shop, kept by John johnson. Ter
fiddlers dressed in mats and rags
formed q procession. They were fol
lowed by Neptune riding on q gun.
carriage. They made straight course
for the quarterback, where Neptune
questioned the captain as to the ship
her destination, himself and the like
Then three quarts of rum were pro
duccd and the shavers drank the cap
tain's health, These ceremonies over
the novices were brought up. and thu
skylarl1ing began. Wearisome a
the descriptions of this kind o
joke grew, one understands neverthe
less, that the romancist should fine
much to fascinate him in 1t as an inspi
ration for a picture easy to paint ant
rich when done. On board man-of
war-some frigate. say, with decks a
white as peeled almonds-the spectacle
for the moment, that is to say until tn
Jacks grew frolicsome, must have beel
wonderfully fine and quaint. The sal
and fanciful costumes of the masquer
5 aders-Neptune with his oakum beard
!; attire of seaweed, and iron crown, tn
1 raddled faces of his companions
S would blend strangely we'll, one woul
: think, with the flowing Jack Tar raj
: ment of the onlookers, the rows G
4 black cannon, the sparkle of brass au
g glass, the soaring of the star-like car
> vas, the delicate shadows Of the RIG
y ging softly swaying whit the mogemer
y of the ship upon the milk-wnite planik'
No effort of imagination could recon
e Gle a custom of this kind with tn
steamship. Imagine Neptune crawlin
over the up-and-down stem of 500
a ton mail boat sweeping through tn
n water as fastas hurricane could hay
/ blown an old frigate along! The deca
K of this ceremony exhibits in Jack
n nice sense of the laws of keeping. II
e is obviously keen in his recognition {
81 the absurdity of perpetuating sue
S a practice as this in century {
g smoke-stacks. 1t was but a coarse b
n of foolery, and it is happily ended
a The early inspiring sentiment of it ha
IL ages ago died out, and nothing survive
e but the opportunity for the forecast
q to prove how rough aud brutal it coul
be when licensed.