A few days before our arrival at Pernambuco, the usual ceremonies attendant upon crossing the Line were duly observed. Those who had never been so far to the southward, were impressed with the belief that sundry operations, by no means pleasant, were to take place: among other things, it was said they were to be suspended from the fore-yard arm, and to be thoroughly ducked by frequent dips into the sea. However unreasonable this may appear, there exists no doubt of such a practice having been perfectly common about forty or fifty years back; it was then regarded as an excellent _joke_, affording wondrous merriment to the veteran part of the crew. In time, the practice ceased; either from the interposition of good sense, or owing to the judicious distribution of some liquor among the chiefs of the _dramatis personæ_. The amusements incident on this occasion are not very tedious, and, though filthy in the extreme, cannot be witnessed without exciting much laughter. About noon, the boatswain, being full dressed as the god of the ocean, is supposed to hail the ship, enquiring whence she comes? whither she is bound? and if any persons are on board who never before crossed the great boundary dividing the northern from the southern hemisphere? After much pompous and authoritative elocution, wherein Neptune declares a firm resolution not to relinquish his rights, he ascends at the bow, under which his car is supposed to be in waiting, whence, attended by his mates, whose paraphernalia accord with the dignity of their office, and the solemnity of the occasion, he proceeds to the quarter-deck, where, after an appropriate speech, he exercises his powers of divination, and in a few minutes discovers the several novices who are to submit to his decrees. His god-head, like his progenitor of ancient times, invariably has an eye to business; and as the sea deity of the Greeks was supposed to delight in ample sacrifices, so does his descendant, or rather his representative, of our time, equally cherish the idea of copious libations in honor of the day. Hence, there is little difficulty in appeasing his wrath, and conciliating his good-will towards the vessel and her crew, by the immolation of from two to three gallons each, of good rum or gin; which, being duly tendered to the officiating priests, soon reach their destination, and avert the threatened danger. While this is going on, some of the old hands are busied in the construction of a ship, which is to be launched in the presence of the deity, under whose auspices she is to sail the world over, and back again, in perfect safety! This important duty is conducted with great precision, and takes place in the lee-waist, where all the novices among the sailors, recruits, &c. are ranged in two rows, face to face, to represent the ribs of the stately Argo.