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both about same no. of sails set - same tack, & close hauled - both vessels held well together for some time, but the little "Atrovida" at last drew ahead of her antagonist making(?) out windward at (?)time - both Captns. doing their utmost - towards evening she, the "Anglesea" was soon miles astern to leeward - she is about 1100 tons register, the "Atrovida" 320 - plenty of room, no bothering each other - The "Atrovida" has walked clean away from everything that she has fallen in with - & it is no uncommon occurrence to see a vessel - Five sight at one time today - Oct 11 - "Anglesea" about 12 miles astern to leeward. Sooon lost sight of her - Expect to cross the Line about 9 this eveng. - by Calculation, etc. Our position is obtained by observation at midday. The rate of progress at regular intervals taken from the log line - Plenty of chaff respectg. crossing the line & the shaving - about 1000 miles from the coast of Africa - sterrg. a S.W. course - about 36 miles from line at 12 today - A splendid sunset the last we shall see in the N. hemisphere - the sun being at this time S. of the line he will not be directly above us for a few days - we have now about equal day & night - no twilight - so soon as the sun touches the water it begins to be dark = the Southern X is seen - the evengs. are beautifully bright - the moon & stars rendering it almost as light as day - The Capt. anxious to get on will not allow any time to be lost - so the shaving was managed quickly between decks & in a mild form - some lather was prepd. soot, tar, greece [sic] etc & some awful sized razors, the old cook was made to represent his Aquatic Majesty, after being adorned & rigged out after the approved plan - he repaired with his assistants & tools between decks - the passages to the upper deck were blocked by some of the confederates felling the ladders (?) - The poor passengers were seized by the assists. & his face prepd. - I thought I should have died with laughing to see what figures each cut after the (?) the shavg. mixture was not in every case placed merely upon those parts usually shaved, but all over the face - it being dark only the old lamps burning, it was a singular scene, it seemed more like pandemonium than anything else - the noise, struggling, racing(?) about, shoutg. singing, etc - while numbers(?) were 1/2 sweep in appearance, all tended to convey the idea - it was highly laughable to see some of the fastidious ones preaching against "the disgraceful procedings" as they termed (?) with their faces all black - Robt. was operatd. upon - I escaped - was fired upon 2 or 3 times, but something coming by to attract attention at the moment. I was forgotten altogether - some locked themselves up in their cabins by piling up boxes etc but twas no use - just as our friend, Russel Sothern was about being done another poor (?) {a disagreeable fellow} was dragged out to have his face cleared of his beard, who snatched up a knife & threatened to stab the first who came near him - this caused a bit of a skirmish, upon which the Capt. came & ordered all the men forward - this just saved R. S. who to the amusement of everyone, was stampg. swearing, calling them all impudent fellows, threatening to knock them all down - statd. he was a Poet, & such things were repugnant to his feelings, he was sorry to see men so far commit themselves as to perpetrate such barbarities, etc, etc, etc - he went to complain to the Capt. who listened to his story, {apparently} then advised him to go & give the fellows a good thrashg., & he would take no notice of his doing so as he considd. it would be serving them right - Mr Taylor can give you some idea of what kind of a chap he is to give any one a thrashing - he & his Bro are about the biggest fools I ever saw for pastors(?) of their education - As Russel was not shaved - he managed to rub his face against a handful of tar in the dark, & to get a bucket of water accidently upset over him from the top of the round-house - everyone thought they were both accidents - there was plenty of washing etc after all was over - there was a vast deal of fun throughout the whole process - a little water, a few buckets, were (?) over each other afterward, for one thinking that another was not quite clean would give him a bucket which was sure to be retd. & a water {aquatic} fight was carried on