Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1825-09-06
no. 005o'
ly a ripple in its waters, denotes the
spot where the craggy monsters Of the
deep repose w..
SUPERSTITION OF SAILORS.
From "Foreign Scenes aud Travelling Re
creations" by John Howisen, Esq.

SUPERSTITION OF SAILORS.
From "Foreign Scenes aud Travelling Re-
Creations" by John Howisem, Esq.
Almost all the supersttions Of sea-
men embrace the idea Of an overruling
Providence; and though no people in
the world are less Influenced by religion
in so far as regards the emo Of their
lives, they betray a lively confidence in
divine protection, and usually solicit it
when the hour of danger arrives They
consider themselves peculiarly situated
with respect to future destiny, and re-
wards and punishments, and think they
will be less severely dealt with hereaf-
ter than other classes of society, on the
ground that the hardships aud dangers
to which their mode Of life exposes
them, are actually equivalent to the tor
ments of purgatory. Their supersti.
tious regard for the small bird called
the stormy petrol, arises from their be-
liefthat these animals follow ships for
the purpose of picking up the souls OF
seamen that are lost in tempests, and
carrying them to the bosom OF their
Creator. / have heard shipmasters
seriously entreat their passengers not
to kill or annoy these winged servants
of heaven. The following circum-
stance, which is strongly illustrative OF
the reality and power Of the superstl-
ton now mentioned, was related to me
by the son ofthe individual under whose
observation it occurred. He had been
with his regiment in the Mediterrane'
an for several years, and was returning
to England in a trading vessel. lie
was the only passenger on board, and
her commander being an agreeable
person for his station, they became In
innate, and were constantly in each
others company. One beautiful calm
evening, when seated in the cabin to-
cether, their conversation turned upon
the pleasure of revisiting home, and OF
meeting beloved friends after a long
absence from both. The shipmaster
pointed to the sun, which was then set
ting, and said that he hoped soon to
see it descend with equal loneliness
behind the mountains that encompass
ed his native valley.
He then spoke with passionate fond
ness of his young wife and his two
children, and remarked that he had at
that moment such a vivid recollection
of their features that they seemed al
most tangible. He was interrupted by
a stormy petrol entering the cabin,
through one Of the stern windows. 1t
flew round the apartment three times
and then disappeared. He instantly
started up,exclaiming, "All is over with
me! I shall never see my family more!!"
and burst into tears. His passenger
inquired into the cause ofhis agitation,
| and endeayoured to soothe him, but
without avail; 81 have received an in
timation of my death from the bird
which has just visited u.s. said the
shipmaster.
"None of its species eve approach
human beings exception similar pur-
pose. shall die three days hence, and
it will carry away my soul. No winds,
however favourable, a convey us
home before the fatal moment arrives
He then requested to be left a lone, and
| after some hours Of ssclusion, came up
on deck with an air of the deepest des-
p~ondency. The weather continued de-
iightful, and the vessel made rapid
progress in her voyage; but her COM
mander seemed Indifferent 10 every
| thing, and daily declined in health and
strength, Notwithstanding all the rea-
soning and c~onsoling attentions OF his
passenger. He employed much o fhis
time in making arrangements relative
to his family, and died about the peri
cd he had predicted.
A gentleman crossing the Severn at
the Old Passage, asked the waterman
if accidents did not sometimes happen
by boats being upset; "and in such ca
ses." said he, "persons must be often
lost" so no." said one of the water
men" they are seldom lost:-Iob be sure
nv brother was drowned here not long
ago, but we found him again a day or
two after" -
LOSS OF TfME
"Should the greatest part OF the peo-
| pIe sit down, and draw up a particular,
account of their time, what a shameful
hill would it be-. So much e%xtrsordina-
nv for eating, drinking, and sleeping,