Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-10-18
ACROSS THE EQUATOR.
Sailing the Great Pacific to Australia
on the Good Ship honowai.
THE ODD SIGHTS AT HONOLULU
Old Nsptune's Tribute From Those Who Had
Never Been Over the Line.
TO BED MONDAY TO RISE WEDNESDAY
CORRESPONDENCE OF THE prsrArcH.i

LunlCy IOr mailing letters before our dIIAVA
at Sydney, which will be at Auckland,
where, 'ff nothing breaks, I'VE expect to ar
rive tomorrow evening at 9 o'clock. We
have had perfect weather, without storm
and with but a few light showers while
crossing the tropics. These showers to one
who has seen little else but water for nearly
a month, do not cut the same figure as they
would TO another who had been tramping
the alkali plains of our dear old United
States for the same period of time.
We left Honolulu Friday, July 81, after
stopping there about five hours, which time
we used N seeing as much as possible Of
those wonderful little islands, which on the
map seem nearly ''out of sight," as they say
in ''the States" We made up a party Of
eight persons from the steamer, chartered
two horses, breed and pedigree unknown,
except that we knew they had but little IL
any Kentucky strain in their breeding, and
with fairly antiquated vehicle, called by
courtesy a carriage, started out to do up the
place and astonish the natives, but am free
to confess that the natives performed more
of the astonishing act than did the eight
'tenderfeet."
THE TOP OF AN OLD CRATER
Our first object of interest was the
"Poli," an old crater from the summit Of
which beheld the finest view, 1 think,
that have ever been privileged to witness.
While do not wish to disparage or belit-
tie the grandeur of our own rugged noun
tains, the White, Adirondacks, Alleghenies
and Rockies, yet the novelty of the scene
here, the different surroundings, the atmos-
phere itself, the seemingly endless ocean,
and finally the flowers and vegetation about
which word picture fails to give one even
an approximate idea, all tended to producs
| In our minds a sensation before unknown.
| We were enveloped in most decidedly
moist cloud, while below us stretched the
most bewilderingly beautiful valley have
ever seen. We were looking down a pre-
| cipitous cliff of 1900 feet into the valley
| below, where were growing luxuriant
palms, cocoanut trees, dates, bananas, sago,
and most beautiful flowers, roses and orange
blossoms in profusion.
assure you, the natives look queer
| enough. The women all dress in "mother
hubbards," and sit astride the donkeys.
| We met many going to town with heaping
baskets of flowers and fruit. We passed the
handsome dwellings of Ministers and Con-
suls from nearly every nation in the world.
| After visiting an extensive ostrich farm,
| where we saw hundreds of the beautiful
| birds, we returned to the steamer. 1 think
we crowded more experience in this four
and quarter hours excursion than ever
before in the same time. While this is
beautiful place, feel that 1 should never
feel content to make it my home
MISSED THE SAMOAN ISLANDa
We sailed away at Q O'Clock in the after
noon on rough seas, and with sick-looking
crowd aboard for that day, but the next
morning found US all right again. We are
getting to be good sailors. Our next stop
was at Tutui1la, and we were unlucky
enough to reach there at night so we could
not see the famous Samoan Islands,
which / very much desired Many of
the Samoans came on board to see us, and
when we sailed again some of them re-
I & on Sen tbev II iumpd overboagd and
pulled for the shore. A little swim of three
or four miles is small matter to them.
Since our last stop we have been steaming
along counting each day, and longing for
sight of land once more. On Sunday morn
ing. we sighted the Friendly Islands, bub
they were far away, and only served to re-
mind us that we were not lost Crossing the
line was very much dreaded by many of us,
and especially by those who had been under
the equator before. 1 think we were ALI
agreeably disappointed, as we were blessed
with cool and pleasant breeze. Yet we
were glad to seek the convenient shade OF
the awnings to escape the rays of the burn
ing sun.
CROSSING THE EQUATOR
The usual ceremonies pertaining to this
great event were performed with the at
tending pomp, tinsel, false boards, red lights
and hilarity. This fun was reached at night,
when our afternoon teas and jolly dinners
had put every body in good humor and made
all of us expectant, the wives anxious and
willing to see some other woman's husband
sacrificed to the demands of Father Neptune.
Our fun was greatly enhanced by the
anxiety and self-solicitude Of gentle
man from Boston by the name OF Rennie,
who is going to the colonies to repre-
sent a life insurance company This
gentleman is the proud and happy pos
SCISSOR of a somewhat diminutive wife
and very bright months old baby named
Philip who is the pet of the passengers by
day and the other thing at night. He Is q
darling, though, and has learned to say
.'MamTa" in three different languages since
leaving Boston, thus early showing the intel
lectual influence of his birthplace. May his
shadow never grow less and his sleep aI
night much greater.
NEPTUNE'S THIRD DEGREE
In the meantime we are crossing the line
ut "A knot gait and Neptune, his wife, six
policemen, the doctor and the barber. are
coming over the side of the ship. Neptune
has list of the passengers who have never
crossed before, and who must participate in
the exercises or go ashore One by one the
names are called, and as the victims are
forward in u shameficed and daZed manner
and patiently submit to the ordeal. The
electric lights are shining brightly and the
shouts of the spectators may be heard for
miles.
The Victims one at time, are placed upon
a platform, seated in q chair and lathered
with big whitewash brush all over their
faces and then shaven with an immense
wooden razor. When this operation IS about
completed their toilet is finished by sud-
denly tipping them over backward into g.
large tank of water The candidate has thus
received his third degree and is entitled to
all of the rights and privileges pertaining
thereto. For some unexplained reason, all
of the candidates were from the second-class
passengers.
ADVANTAGE OF HAVING A BABY.
After time it became noised about that
Neptune had our Boston friend ''on his list"
1 was sorry for this, and sorry for little
Philip as we learned afterward that when
the rumor began to circulate Rennie rushed
below hustled little Philip from q sound
sIeep and contrvied to keep his eyes open
and gently squalling while pacing the mar
row limits of his stateroom untn tne equa.
tor was five hours behind our wake and
PniliD was four hours ahead of his wake.
Hence the moral-how hard it Is to shave
and tank" a Boston life insurance man.
His resources are bounqlesS, ana extend
from our own funerals to hls own progeny.
This VOYAGE has been a great experience.
We have not met a single boat to see it since
we sailed The two we passed at night were
tout of sight" We nave seen a couple OF
whales though and any quantity of flying
fish We have enjoyed the novelty of losing
or droDDing out day, as, for instance we
retired on Monday night and awakened on
W ednesday morning, pretty long sleep Tor
eight hours. We have jolly company on
board mostly English. you know. The ladies'
dress n great deal for dinner at night have
their 4 o'clock teas every day, most Of the