Robert Suggate journal and commonplace book, 1874-1878.

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shortened sail for her and in the course of the night they got a new one up.

May the 10th our first accident happened, a poor fellow named Connolly an Irishman fell from the fore top and broke his thigh, he was taken below put into a cot and every attention paid him by the doctor, but he could not be reconciled to having his grog stopped, he said "as he could do nothing else he would like to be drinking his grog", a solid argument in his own idea and one that he had often put in practice but as it did not suit the Doctor's view of the case, his grog was stopped. About this time we fell in with the trade winds and lost sight of the Sir David Scott but whether we had past her or she us, we had no means of learning. We had by this time got the ship into good order and the crew knew their stations. Whether at the great guns or small arms, and in case of fire +c, and the decks kept in clean and fine condition by holystoning, and thorough washing afterwards. We had several young midshipmen on board, some their first voyage and some their second, and many practical jokes were passed off upon the "green ones" causing even appeals sometimes to the officers for protection, so much do the strong delight in tormenting the weak, the nature of human nature I suppose. Our live stock on board were pretty numerous and in the early quiet morning the cocks would be crowing the hens cackling, the sheep bleating and the pigs grunting so that one almost fancied he must be in a farmyard.

We were now drawing towards the 'Line' and the weather hot with full advantage of the trade wind, great numbers of whales spouting the water in all directions, and shoals of porpoises tumbling along in the pursuit of their prey the flying fish. May 18th one flew into our porthole and we bottled him in gin, but belonging to the water drinkers he soon gave

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up the ghost, they are a handsome fish their wings are lengthened fins placed upon each side of the body towards the head, and with which they can fly two or three hundred yards at a stretch, then drop into the water like a handful of small pebbles thrown in, just wet their wings and off they go on another flight, their wings often enable them to escape from the dolphins and the porpoises, but they find enemies in the sea birds that seize them in their flight. We often got a sight of large sharks following the ship, the sailor's dreaded and deadly foe, ready for anything that might fall overboard from a man to a mouse, we caught several with large hooks baited with some salt meat, one monster we caught so big that it took several men to haul him on deck and then it was 'stand clear' for probably a broken leg would have been the result of a blow from his tail, it was rare fun to the sailors to have their dreaded enemy so wholly in their power, and he was soon hacked to pieces The Chinese and other nations cook and eat portions of the shark and our cook tried his art upon a part of this one but without a satisfactory result, at all events we did not like it. We had at times innumerable quantities of sea birds following in the wake of our ship, for the sake I imagine of what might fall or be thrown overboard they were of all sizes, mostly varieties of the "Stormy Petrel" and were very many leagues from land.

Connolly doing very well but very uneasy when he hears the boatswain to "Grog O.", and under our good little fat doctor's care, ably seconded by his good tempered Scotch assistant the crew were all kept in a healthy state.

We now approached the 'Line' and preparations were

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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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an every day affair, that some vessels escape Neptune's visit altogether, in others the crews obtain an extra glass of grog upon the occassion, and that finishes the matter, formerly the initiation which preceded the sailor's claim to the title of being a real 'son of Neptune' was often carried to extremes even to barbarity.

Long before we got near the Equator we learnt the determination of the 'Old Salts' or "Sons of Neptune" as they called themselvs, to give us a clean shave and a dose of medicine. On the day we should pass into the Southern Ocean, both considered very excellent and necessary things in a warm climate, and at the Equator it is warm and no mistake.

The near approach to the Line is always hailed with delight by all those who have been fortunate enough to have crossed it before, it affords them a few hours of liberty and fun, and is a break in the monotony of a long voyage, besides it affords an opportunity of paying off a few "old scores" upon those of their shipmates or others that they may dislike, and we were quite prepared to expect that Neptune would exact his dues to the utmost. We had on board some forty or fifty including several young midshipment who were fresh invaders of his Godship's territories.

Our reckoning with Neptune among ourselves was often discussed on our voyage out, and occupied our thoughts a good deal, and often did the idea flit across our minds that

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we would tell the God a lie, as he was only a Heathen, and say we had seen his face before; but on its being hinted that he would be rather particular in his questions about the ship we were in, the Captain's name, the ports we sailed to and from, we found we could not make out very satisfactory answers, and so reluctantly resigned ourselves to whatever fate the old wretch might have in store for us.

As before stated the line is merely imaginary, but from that line the Latitude begins, and the ship is on the Line and in no Latitude properly speaking, or she has crossed that boundary and is North of, or South of the Line as the case may be, and in such and such a Latitude or distance in degrees from "The Line", and the position or distance from it is ascertained by the Captain and officers with proper instruments by observations of the sun every day at twelve o'clock, thus is the Latitude or position of the ship made out, and her distance from the Line in miles or degrees, and entered in to the 'Logbook' kept for that purpose. Often the stars are used for observations, when so many hundreds of miles from land and but a boundless expanse of water to be seen, then are the heavenly bodies the mariner's only true guide.

It may be expected that we were very anxious to ascertain the time when we should be introduced to Old Father Neptune, and become members of his family circle, and the evening preceding the crossing the Line having arrived, a select few of Neptune's sons were occupied in taking down the names of us poor unfortunate and getting money or grog from