Triton's equator-crossing ceremony gave its sailors a break from reconnaissance and research. Notes signed by the mysterious Little Gray Fox had encouraged mock rebellion among the uninitiated before Neptune's court arrived through the after torpedo-room escape trunk. With the captain's agreement, the court summoned the polywogs, tried their supposed offences, and imposed ceremonial punishments. Those accepted became shellbacks before the royal party returned to the depths. Beach preserved the performance in the voyage's official record, including its mock transfer of operational control to Neptune.
Notable Point · 2:09:57-2:12:10
Neptune's court comes aboard Triton underwater
Triton's crew staged an equator-crossing initiation through the torpedo-room escape trunk, bringing an established naval ceremony into a submerged voyage.