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Transcription
15
already being made for the usual ceremony on crossing.
According to ancient history the Heathen gods have often
condescended to associate with poor mortals, and even
to assist and help them with their worldly troubles when
properly invoked. The assistance, however, granted to his
subjects by the God Neptune is of a very doubtful nature.
His dominions are the "watery part of the globe, where
he with his satellites exact dues and homage, and
delight in playing tricks altogether unearthly upon
travellers, so much so as to make them look forward
to an interview with his godship, with considerable
anxiety and trepidation. His headquarters are in the
neighborhood of that imaginary line running from
East to West and divding this globe into two equal
halves, North and South, and at certain times in the
year the sun is directly over that imaginary line
at twelve o'clock in the day, and that line is called
the "Equinoctial Line" and when we are South of,
or from this part of the globe, beyond that imgainary
division, we are into the waters of the southern half
of the globe, but to get in that half of the globe
we invade the territories of the God Neptune and to
become a true son of Neptune his godship exacts
homage and tribute and initiation into certain
mysteries and ceremonies, from every one who for the
first time makes his appearance before him.
The feeling against the absurd and oftentimes cruel
ceremony of "Shaving and Dipping" all those who cross
the "Equinoctial Line" for the first time, has become
so strong of late years, that but little more than
the name of it remains, and Old Father Neptune
may truly say with Othello that his "occupation's
gone". "Crossing the Line" is now become such
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