a long white beard, a gold paper
crown on his head, and a sceptre in his hand, and dressed in a flowing
robe painted all over with curious devices. With him came a huge woman,
also wearing a crown and garments of many colours, a necklace of huge
beads and a couple of clasp-knives hanging down from either side of her
face to serve as ear-rings; another figure followed them equally
curiously dressed, with a basin under one arm, a pair of sailmaker's
shears hanging round his neck, and a piece of rusty hoop shaped like a
razor in his hand. A fourth person, tall and gaunt, was seen in a
cocked-hat, a thick cane in one hand, and a box of pills of large
proportions in the other. Following them came a party of monsters in
green dresses with long tails, and heads covered by oakum wigs.

The captain, wishing to humour the men, shouted out--

"Glad to see your majesty on board my ship. You're welcome to come aft
and look out for any of those whose acquaintance you have not before
made."

On this the whole gang came tramping aft. Mark and I saw that their
eyes were fixed upon us. We had no place to fly to but up the mizen
rigging. We made the attempt, but were quickly caught by some of the
monsters, who managed to climb up in spite of their tails.

The barber had in the meantime placed a huge tub on the deck, and a
couple of small casks. On these we were compelled to sit down, when he
immediately with a paint-brush began to daub our faces over with the
contents of a bucket of grease. He then drew out his razor, and scraped
us in the most cruel fashion, taking off the skin at every stroke.

The doctor in the meanwhile, with mock solemnity, felt our pulses, and
then observing that we were terribly sick, crammed one of the boluses
out of his box into our mouths, and forced it down with his tarry
finger.

"A bath would do them good," he growled out.

We were seized, and soused head over heels in a tub till we were
well-nigh drowned. In vain we struggled and shrieked. Every time we
opened our mouths the barber shoved his brush into them, and the
monsters then ducked our heads under water to wash them out, as they
said.

More dead than alive we were at last allowed to go, but had scarcely
strength left to crawl away.

Tom Trivett was next dragged aft, though he declared that he had often
crossed the line. Daddy Neptune refused, however, to believe him,
protesting that he had never seen his face in those parts befor