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Crossing-the-Line Photographs - Brown & Schaffer
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On January 5th and 6th, 1908, the Fleet crossed the equator and carried out the traditions of converting polywogs to shellbacks of the realm of Neptunus Rex. On each ship this traditional ceremony was observed with most of the crew having to participate, as it was their first time to cross the equator.
AT LEFT: Brown & Schaffer #142, A sailor can be seen coming down a slide into the waiting arms of his shipmates for a saltwater bath.
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Above, photographs #188 and #164 as a sequence to the same bathing. Typically sailors would be seated in a chair to receive a haircut before appearing before Neptunus Rex. Sometime during their haircut they would be surprised by a push over backward into the saltwater pool. Many times this bath would include scrub brushes, oil, tar, or salt to "cleanse" the sailor.
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Bill@GreatWhiteFleet.info
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