CROSSING THE LINE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22612, 2 July 1935, Page 15

CROSSING THE LINE

BY AN INITIATE

The following account is taken from a letter written by Miss Eleanor Rose to her mother, Mrs Rose, of this cify. Rose was presented at court last Tuesday; hence her reference to “making a curtsey to a throne.” Saturday, April 20.—Last evening, at 8.30, with flashes of rockets and a musical accompaniment, King Neptune and his “queen” and court arrived—paraded the decks, then seated themselves on the bunting-draped thrones on the promenade deck. The foolery was very good, indeed, and most amusing. The girls were all lined up, and were “ presented at court,” one by one. Neptune had a word for each one of us, and pronounced sentence for, the event to-morrow. There is no escape, if one is a sport at all. so in we must all go. I couldn’t help thinking of the next time I should make my curtsey to a throne, and hoping that the memory of this might not upset my dignity.

Men are hammering hard at a platform above the swimming pool, from which the victims are to be hurled this afternoon: I think it will be wise to get in early} while one can at least see the bottom of the pool—at least 50 must go through the performance. Sunday. April 21. —Yesterday was the funniest day of the voyage, and I am still sore with laughing. At 4.15 we victims were in our bathing suits, and, our clothed companions had our cameras in readiness to take photographs for us. Fairly punctually, Neptune, Queen, Doctor, Lawyer, Constables and Bears arrived in state, preceded by a regal band of one accordion! The bears, in hideous “seaweed” (teased rope with some green mess tipped oyer it) grouped themsejves on the platform by the pool, ready with paint brushes, razors, brushes and combs of the most fearsome appearance, which they blandished in the air as they leapt around. Some dreadful looking pirate patrols, with truncheon in hand, and “ blood ” all over their clothes, ran round seeing that all the “ malefactors ” were present, and they ransacked every corner of the ship, so that none might escape. One by one the victims were led to the throne, their charges read out, and their sentences pronounced, and then they were punished accordingly. First came the children, who enjoyed the performance, and who were kindly and gently dealt with. Even a baby boy, aged 20 months, toddlecj up, receiving his sentence, and was dipped in the pool, up to his waist, to his great delight. The small ones loved it; each got just ns much as it wanted, and none was frightened. One small girl, seven years old, roared with rage after her sentence had been carried out, and on her mother’s inquiring as to the cause, sobbed: “ I want to be ducked, and he onlv held me in the water.” Matters were rectified. She was duckcd—well and truly ducked —and peace was restored. N. 8.: That same young lady is in the pool nearly all day, can swim a bit, and doesn’t care what happens to her! After the children came us women, and I shall describe my own sentence as an example of the general procedure. I was led before the Presence and my sentence was announced after my crime had been read out. The crimes were: Being late for breakfast, staying too long in the pool, being rude to officials, wearing masculine attire, and so forth. I was passed on to the “ doctor,” who “sounded” my heart, and with an awful

eat, and fearful ducking from the bears —especially any who had made himself in any degree unpopular. The captain stood by all the time to see that there was no rough piny, or any real damage done. This was probably necessary towards the end. when eggs, kidneys, bits of fish, vegetables, etc. began to fly, and some of the men were a little excited. By this time the “court” itself was in a horrible mesa. So “the court" flung off its robes, and clad in short u.p’s only, leaped across the deck and flung itself into the poor pool! Some wept in clothes and all; paint, make-up “ blood ” was all over the place. Oh, the mess! There must have been 20 men in the pool at one time, and as I left the scene to dress, I heard the captain hauling them out, and supervising their attire, or lack of it, to be sure that they were in a state of decency. Altogether it was a very funny business and it didn’t end till G p.m. Dinner that night was called “ Neptune’s ” and the menu was a very clever one, which X have kept as a memento.