The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1883-09-21
superstitions Of the Sea.

Like sailors, the Cape Ann fishermen
are quite superstitious; one finds the
study of this trait quite interesting. The
superstition against beginning trip on
Friday is strong with them. When 8
vessel sails near enough to Halfway
Rock, on the Bank voyage. the crew
are apt to pitch coppers and nickels
upon it, 'to bring them good luck"
They believe that if a sea-bird alights
on a vessel blown out to sea it is bad
omen-if bee or land-bird, a good one;
and some have been known from such q
mishap to put back to port and change
the trip. The more ignorant believe in
witches and the numerous spirits of
flood and fell. The locale of Captain
Kidd's treasures is often under discus
sion in the forecastles. But their most
singular and widespread belief is in
sJonahs." These may be animate or
inanimate, men or things; but that some
are unfortunate, while others bring good
luck. is the firm belief of the true fisher
man, and he has an array of facts to
fortifv his belief He will tell you of q
certain builder that hss turned of
twenty schooners from fis stocks and
not one of them has cleared their
owners q penny. He will instance
another vessel that in five annual trips
brought in five of the largest fares
known to the port, and that never
misses full fare He will point to one
man-an able seaman and expert fish
er-who always brings Dad luck to the
crew he ships with, while the same
crew, on getting rid of him, finds its
former good fortune return. A valise,
violin, checker-board, toy boat, a
bucket on deck, half full of water,
dropping a hatch into the hold, break
ing looking-glass, driving nails on
Sunday, are all Jonahs. There are few
fishermen who will not whistle for a
breeze when it is calm, or stick knife
in the after side of the mainmast to
bring fair wind. and it is we'll
known fact that if hook is stuck i'm
the hand, thrusting it Immediately into
a piece of pine will prevent soreness of
the wound. But it is in the matter of
dreams and premonit;ons that the fish
erman's superstition finds readiest
channels Columns might be filled
with the dreams that have come true to
the knowledge of the old shippers who
abound in the port. Two instances will
serve to show the flavor of these eerie
recollections.
On the 9TH of September, 1871, the
schooner Sachem, of Gloucester. was
nearing Georges, when at midnight
the steward, John Nelson, appeared at
the Captains berth in great agitation.
and besought him to change his course
toward land, rs some great catastrophe
was about to happen. He had just had
a dream. he said, of females clad in
white crossing brook. Twice before
similar apparition had visited him,
and in both cases accidents had hap
pened-in the first, a collision that left
them i'm a sinking condition in the
second, gale that nearly wrecked the
ship, the crew barely succeeding in
getting her into port. The Captain de-
cided not to change his course, but
was so impressed by the mans earnest
ness that he gave orders to the watch
to keep sharp lookout. At half-past
a. M, the vessel being near Georges,
the watch observed a bright light off to
leeward simultaneously one of the
crew sung out from the forecastle that
the schooner was filling. and, true
enough. an examination disclosed six
inches of water above the floor. The
pumps were at once set to work, and
efforts made to find the leak, but with
out avail and in the morning the crew
left the vessel, which then had eighteen =.
inches of water on the forecastle floor.
She sank at 2 p. M.
The other was of q different nature.
On Sunday morning. July q, 1872, as
Captain Elwell, OF the schooner Belvi-
dere, was asleep in his berth he dreamed
that he saw a dead body floating on the
water. His efforts to secure it were IN
successful, and it finally passed out of
sight under the counter of the vessel.
The dream made such an impression
that he awoke and went on deck almost
expecting to see the fulfilment of his
vision and firmly convinced that some
thing noteworthy would occur. After
half an hour he saw box floating on
the water, and on sailing up to it made
several unsuccessful efforts to get it on
board, but it eluded him and finally dis
appeared under the vessels counter.
Theysailed on. but the Captain was I'M
easy, and finally put about and secured
the box. 1t was found to contain the
body of a. little girl, lying on seaweed,
and holes in the sides OF the box indi-
Gated that it was the purpose of those
who set it adrift to have it sink.--Cor-
rseDondpUce ~ Y Post