ever wishes to pass the line." Neptune's envoy was hidden among the sails, but at ten o'clock, the exact time when we crossed the line, he caused a fire to appear on the top of the mainmast, which burned for a quarter of an hour. This was a signal for us to go to bed. One would say that Neptune is still pleased, says Byron, at seeing his name invoked afresh, though in a derisory manner, by his true children, in grotesque sports which were never known in his native Cyclades. The god of the seas seems to rejoice, in the depth of his empire, at seeing some feeble traces of his ancient worship still kept alive.
On the ISth, about ten in the morning, at the shout of " Neptune! Neptune! " we accompanied the captain on deck, where that great personage presented himself with all his court. He looked in truth more like his brother Pluto. He was covered with rags from head to foot: a wig and a terrifying beard of tow covered his face: lie had in his hand an enormous wooden compass and a sextant, with which he began to make motions, imitating the captain when he takes the sun. On his right stood his wife, with a doll in her arms representing their son, one as idiotically attired as the other. The most outlandish masquerade rig would give you but a faint idea of theirs. Neptune first promised the captain a fortunate voyage, and then turning to me, requested me to submit to the operation of the razor. I answered that as the chief of the passengers I would gladly treat for all, but begged him to excuse us. Neptune insisted, I continued to make excuses, fearing they would play me some trick. The captain was smiling to himself, but our marine god would not give up: " It is my inalienable right," he said, " to shave, and the bounden duty of every passenger, of whatever rank or condition, to submit." At last he whispered to me that he would do the thing decently, and that it was only an innocent joke and all the fun the sailors had. So I sat down by the mainmast, Neptune put a scrap of sail-cloth over my chest, held up a little tub of soapy water, and