September 5 Thursday – Sept. 5. Closing in on the equator this noon. A sailor explained to a young girl that the ship’s speed is poor because we are climbing up the bulge toward the center of the globe; but that when we should once get over, at the equator, and start down-hill, we should fly. …

Afternoon. Crossed the equator. In the distance it looked like a blue ribbon stretched across the ocean. Several passengers kodak’d it. We had no fool ceremonies, no fantastics, no horseplay [FE Ch. IV p.65-6].

Note: Paine gives the equator crossing as Sept. 6 MTB 1009; Sam’s notebook entry of Sept. 6: “Crossed the equator at 4 p.m. yesterday. Clara kodaked it” [NB 35 TS 43].

Sam then wrote of games of deck shuffleboard, which he called “horse-billiards.”

Livy wrote to Susan Crane:

This afternoon about four we shall cross the equator. … Mr. Clemens seems entirely well again of his cold. I do trust that he is not going to be subject to those colds. He is pretty cheerful — in fact he appears entirely cheerful — but underneath he has a steady, unceasing feeling that he is never going to be able to pay his debts. I do not feel so…. [MTP].