Glossary great circle: a circ le formed on the surface
The Royal Party watch the initiation of the Polly Wogs: Queen Amphitrire (C.A. Andrews, SJ C, USN), a Royal Slave and King Neptune (Chief Machinist T.J. Doyle, USN). A Royal Mermaid smiles in the foreground. (Photo courtesy US Naval Institute)
of a sphere by the intersection of a plane th at passes through the center of the sphere; such a circ le on the surface of the earth, an arc of which constitutes the shortest di tance between any two terrestrial points the Line: general reference to the eq uator (as "crossing the Line") off soundings : water too deep to get bottom with a lead sounding line, co mm on ly recogni zed as beyond the co ntin ental she lf Shellback: a sailor who has previously crossed the Line Charlie Noble: sailor's term for the flu e to th e ship's ga lley range Polly Wog: a sailor who is approaching the Royal Waters of Neptu nus Rex for the first time Neptunus Rex: the Roman god of the sea who, in trad iti onal nautical mytho logy, has sovereignty over the doldrum areas adj acent to and on the equator Poseidon: th e Greek god of the sea; Greek grandfather, shall we say, of Neptunus Rex, giver of law of the sea The Golden Dragon: the drago n who, in nauti ca l mythology, claims jurisdi ction over the in ternational date line
The USS Au gusta crosses rhe line in 1936 and the Polly Wogs go from the barber 's chair to the tank. (Photo courtesy US Naval Institute)
hi s fortune would accrue at the rate of 500 gall ons per day." Several weeks later, thi s Shellback had an encounter with "The Go lden Dragon" at 180° (east or west-your choice) Longitude; that, however, is ant, other story.
Top right, aboard a Coast Guard-manned assault transport somewhere in the Southwest Pacific in 1944, the Jolly Roger fli es as the ship crosses the equator and King Nep tune holds his court. Th e hardy buccaneer, complete with a knife in his teeth, is Coast Guardsman William B. Odekirk, seaman.first class, who, on becoming a "shellback, " immediately took to rhe yardarm.
Those who survived the rigors of initiation may now join The Shellback Association, recently organized by Philip Pearlmutter, 57 Parcot Ave., New Rochelle NY 10801.
Bottom right, a Polly Wog gets tarred as he crosses the line aboard the USS Valley Forge (CV-45), 21January 1948.
SEA HISTORY 72, WINTER 1994- 95
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