In our case the morning after we crossed the line all the greenhorns were locked up in the forecastle and not allowed to come on deck until the preparations were complete. One of the older sailors was dressed to resemble Neptune, with beard and hair made of rope-yarn, and carrying in his right hand a trident with a small fish impaled on one of its prongs. He slipped quietly over the bows, then hailed the ship, and came on board. After a short parley with the captain, he said he wished to see those who had recently entered his service. Neptune was attended by two Tritons, who were dressed in much the same grotesque fashion that he was. When he asked for his new servants, one of the greenhorns was let out from the forecastle and taken in hand by the Tritons. It was my fortune or misfortune to be the first victim. I was blindfolded and led before Neptune, who questioned me in a loud and imperious tone as to my name and birthplace. Then he asked if I'd been to school, and whether I'd learned anything. I began to think I was going to get off easily; but my belief proved to be ill founded. After the question concerning my education Neptune asked,-- "Do you intend to be a faithful servant of my realm?" When I opened my mouth to reply, a paint-brush, which had been dipped in the water from the trough under the grindstone, was shoved into my mouth, and then the same brush, with more of the unsavory liquid, was passed back and forth upon my face after the manner of a lathering-brush. Neptune then ordered me to be shaved; and the shaving was to be performed with a piece of iron hoop, in which notches like the teeth of a saw had been filed. I received several scratches on my face; and while I was wincing under them a bucket of water was thrown over me, and the bandage which covered my eyes was removed. I was then let loose, and permitted to see the remainder of the fun. One by one all the greenhorns were brought up and went through substantially the same ordeal. Some were handled much more severely than others. David was let off about the same as I was; and we found when the show was over that we had been treated more leniently than any one else. We wondered why this was the case until we learned that the Tritons who attended Neptune were none other than our friends, Bill Haines and Joe Herne. If there had been passengers on board who had never crossed the line before they would have been subjected to the same treatment, unless they had paid a fine of two or three dollars each, which they generally pay without hesitation. The money thus obtained is spent in luxuries for the crew, either at the time or at the ship's port of destination. On English passenger ships, going from England out to India around the Cape of Good Hope, I am told that the sailors reap quite a harvest out of this ceremony of "Crossing the Line."