The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1889-02-07

Kul8ub, dlISf WHICH the SSllOfS SSbG uOWl
to feast. Boards in those days
wegged more merrily at sea than they
do in ours. Until we come to the yard
arm and the lather of tar the merry
making is very easy and gentle, and
even gracious; but as we advance we
meet with the inspiration of drink; the
rum fend ruddy from Jamaica steps
aboard, makes himself master of cere-
monies, and the tomfoolery grows
savage.
In the middle ages we hear of ships
with sails of silk, banners of exquisite
devices streaming very gloriously at
the masthead, lovely ladies in dainty
robes looking over the side, gallant
mariners in sparkling armor, and dark
skinned slaves flashing luster as of
sunlight on either side of the ship with
the shining, rising, and falling of their
long, wet, gold-bright oars. One can
not reconcile any notion of bcisterous
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 'sanary,
and breaches his puncheons of rum,
then the ''shindy" begins. AS good
an account as any of the modern
ceremonies practiced in crossing
the equator is given by Mtlrry&t.
Indeed, the Jacks of his days
were so obstinate in the observation
of this practice that if the ship courYe
did not carry her across the line the
crew performed the ceremony in tie
tropics. So says Marryat in Frank
Midway" and he shows us the picture
by introducing Neptune riding on car
made of a gun-carriage, drawn by siS
semi-nude seamen painted black ana
spotted with yellow paint. Nepturo,
has a long beard and ringlets of oakum.
On his head is an iron crown and in his
hand a trident with small dolphin be-
tween it's prongs. His attendants are
% secretary, armed with a bundle of
sea-fowl quills, q surgeon with lancet.
pill-box, and so forth, and barber
with a large wooden razor, the blade of
which is formed of an iron hoop. This
barber has mate who makes his ap-
pearance with small tub for a shaving
box. With Neptune comes Amphitrite,
habited in woman's night-cap with
sea-weed for ribbons. She carries a
boy on her lap as baby, whose teeth
she helps to cut with a marlin spike,
Three rough sailors dressed as nymphs
form her retinue. 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 5heep-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 does not demonstrate. for man
stands by with tar brush which he
will pop into his mouth if 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 liable 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 barber's shop was fitted
up with a sign: ''Neptune's Easy Shay
ing Shop. kept by John Johnson" Ten
fiddlers dressed in mats and rags
formed a procession. They were fol-
lowed by Neptune riding on gum
carriage. They made a 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-
duced and the shavers drank the cap
tains health, These ceremonies over,
the noviees were brought up. and the
skylarking began. Wearisome as
the descriptions of this kind of
joke grew, one understands neverthe-
less, that the romancist should find
much to fascinate him in it as an inspi-
ration for d picture easy to paint and
rich when done. On board man-of-
war-some frigate, say, with decks as
white as peeled almonds ds-the spectacle
for the moment, that is to say until the
Jacks grew froliesome, must have been
wonderfully fine aud quaint The salt
and fanciful costumes of the masquer-
aders-Neptune with his oakum beard,
attire of seaweed, and iron crown, the
raddled faces of his companions
would blend strangely well, one would
think. with the flowing Jack Tar raj
ment of the onlookers, the rows OF
black cannon, the sparkle of brass and
glass, the soaring ef the star-like can
vas, the delicate shadows of the rig
ging softly swaying with the movement
! of the ship upon the milk-white planks
No effort of imagination could recon
eile q custom of this kind with the
steamship. Imagine Neptune crawling
over the up-and-down stem of 5000
ton mail hOat ewannine fbrar.nb Al Z