The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1882-12-14
Fishermen's Buperstltions

Fishermen are famous for their super
stltions. One of their newest ones works
most beneficlally to science Many of
the most Important contributions to the
fish department of the National Museum
at Washington come from the Glouces-
ter fishermen, who huve developed a
great interest in the work, and save for
the museum the rare specimens fire..
! quently taken during their voyages
They carry special tanks for preserving
THESE collections, and believe that these
tanks are the means of bringing good
luck to craft. The old belief in lucky
and unlucky sailing days is said to be
dying out among the Gloucester fisher
men, fact said to be due, in degree at
Last, to the sharp com petition that has
sprung up. 1t is not an unusual sight,
when fine Friday comes after spell of
bad weather, to see large fleet spread
sail and depart for the fishing grounds.
A belief in "Jonahs'' prevails among
fishermen. A Jonah may be something
animate or inanimate, or even the result
of the actions or accidents of persons; in
fact, almost everything that is supposed
to bring i'll luck is called a Jonah. A
vessel regarded as unfortunate is thus
! S.~AN w w ~ cohobs IL 10 Oiu1H u1luCuiO w
obtain a crew OF good men for her, If
men are scarce, although she mey be
we'll adapted for the business. Equal
trouble is also sometimes experienced
by expert fishermen in securing berth
aboard vessel, because they have the
reputation of being Jonahs. 1t occa-
slonallv happens that some vessels meet
with i,l-fortune for years in succession,
| n nd rnk .,s Ia
evidence of their being Jonahs is as
strong az proofs of holy writ. A singular
circumstance of this kind is recalled.
Several years ago new vessel was
brought to Gloucester from the port
where she was built. She was the larg-
est class employed in the fisberies-a
beauty in model and rig-and the
skipper, who was young man and part
owner, felt commendable pride in his
fine schooner. Que day, however, an
acquaintance of the Captain said to him,
while the vessel was being fitted for her
, trip, I'm sorry you have had that vessel
built" When asked for his reasons he
continued: Il have known the man who
built her to launch more than twenty
schoopers during the past few years, and
none OF them ever made 81 for their
owners, while few of them have ever
lived more than two or three years, be-
ing either wrecked on the shore or
foundered at sea-" Strange to say, the
first captain who sailed in this schooner
had no luck for nineteen months,
although he had previously been
fortunate and felt pride in his
business. Finally, becoming disgusted
and somewhat disheartened he sold out
his share of the vessel and left her,
almost convinced that what had been
told him by his friend was hot far from
the truth. The schooner mot two years
old was lost at sea on her next voyage.
The captain and two of his crew were
drowned, and the survivors, after endur-
ing much suffering, while lashed to the
wreck, were finally taken off ard sent
home. The schooner was continually
meeting with ill fortune from the day
she first sailed out of Gloucester har-
bor, to the time of her wreck. The be-
lief in Jonahs fortunately often meets
with rebuff so severe AS to hinder it
from becoming anything like a general
one. One skipper once inquired of an
other. nodding his head at man who
was at work on the vessel:
Are you going to carry that MANI"
Receiving an affirmative reply, he cou-
tinued
"You won't get any fish then; he's a
regular JONAH"
The reply was: Jonah, or no Jonah
he goes this trip anyway"
The trip in question proved a success.
full one, and nothing more was heard of
the man being a Jonah. The luck of
men often seem to change After they
have been for some time regarded as
Jonahs. and those who have previously
felt much opposed to being shipmates
with them, are glad to sail in the same
vessels. HSome fishermen believe that u
valise, on board Of vessel, Is Jonah.
Probably this is due to a prejudice felt
against carrying such an unseamanlike
article on fishing trip. Other things
regarded as Jonahs by few persons,
checker-boards, toy boats, bucket set
ting on deck partly full of water, and
soaking mackerel in a bucket.