Then came the visit of Davy Jones, who informed the Captain of the forthcoming appearance of King Neptune and his Court. After snarling and lashing at the poor, benighted pollywogs, he vanished back into the sea whence he came. With the departure of Davy Jones there also came the cessation of hostilities, a sort of TOPEKA 38th Parallel peace fell over the ship until the next day.

Morning came much too soon for most, but not for the shellbacks. "Vengeance is mine," saith the shellbacks, and it sure was! Beginning with breakfast (which was rather less than filling) , and running through to the completion of the ceremonies at the end of the day, the shellbacks laid it on - hard, thick and fast. No mercy asked, none given.

The King of the Seas came aboard amidst a blast of fire and thunder, greeted the Captain, and retired to his throne on the fantail, there to await, and condemn, the luckless polywogs who came before him. Oddly enough, not one pollywog was found "not guilty" by the Royal Judge, and all were sentenced to neat little punishments described visually further on in this record of the day we crossed the Line.

It was quite an occasion, and for most quite a long one. Many a weary body was eased complainingly into its waiting bed that night. But there was a feeling of well being, a knowledge that they were now part of the chosen few, and with an occasional grimace of pain, all hands went peacefully to sleep, most to dream about the next time they crossed the Equator!