Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1884-07-19
ABOUT SEAMEN.
SOME sTORIRa ABOUT@THKIR DIFFER
KNT SUPKRSTlTlONb.


Supposed - Believe In.
There IL probably no class OF people
in the world 20 full OF superstitious be-
lief ~ the average sailor, unless, indeed,
It be the negroes of the South This
belief in omens Of the Q Is not confined
alone to forecastle men, but IL TO q
greater or lesser extent shared by cap
tains and mates. In conversation q few
days ago with a grizzly bearded and
bronzed old mariner, who has trod the
quArter-decks Of ships as master for up
ward OF q quarter Of q century, a re-
porter preached the subject Of the super
stition Of sailors. "Do sailors believe in
omens ?" said the Captain, repeating
the reporters question, "well you can
bet your starry toplights they do. They
are the crankiest lot Of men in the world,
and you would be astonished to know
what triAing matters sometimes causes
them TO give up going on a voyage. l
have known sailors to predict the direct
calamity of a ship because they happened
to sneeze while going on board. Then
again, if q vessel is delayed in port and
does not sail at the appointed time it is
. bad omen, according to Jacks ideas.
They have good omens too. A fair day
when they ship is a good sign. and if
the sun is shining brightly on the day
they sail it is a sign that the vessel will
have a speedy and prosperous voyage.
A battling head wind leads sailors to the
belief that there Is a Jonah on board
and they do all sorts of things, such a.
burning a piece Of an old sail or rope
yarn and the throwing overheard Of a sea
biscuit to exercise the evil effects of his
presence, and when the wind does shift
and becomes fair they attribute it to
their sorcerism, their good spirits return
and all goes merry until something else
happens to disturb their fears.
II remember an old fellow / once
shipped at Liverpool for the voyage
home to New York." continued the cap
tain. "He was a veritable old sea dog
and the crew at once set him down as
Jonah. He was called Liverpool Jack,
and was the queerest chap I ever saw.
He wanted the voyage prolonged as
much as possible, and one day the men
caught him in the foretop whistling for
head wind, and, sure enough, the fol.
lowing morning the wind shifted and
came dead from the head. This, of
course, necessitated the frequent tackmg
of the ship, and the curses Of the crew
were loud and long. That wind stuck to
us for three days, and the crew decided
10 chuck Jack overheard, and I believe
they would have carried the threat into
execution had not the wind changed.
Sailors also have an aversion to clergy
mems sons, and if they know hat one is
on board q vessel they will not ship un.
der any consideration. Why they dis
like q vessel with q minister's son on
board I have never found out, but it is
considered as one of the worst 'hoodoos'
by the sailors. Out at sea il, as is fire..
quently the case, q shark follows in the
wake of q vessel, it is a sign that SOM
one OF board will oon die, but it is one
Of the worst omens to kill it. OF all thu
sea birds what are known as q Mothel
Cary's chicken, Q dark bird somewha
resembling a gull, but about the size O
q chicken, is held most sacred by til,
~forecastle men. It's presence foretell
Al approaching storm, and this sign hard
~ ever fails. A seaman would a. 500
think OF swimming across the Pacif
Ocean rs to modest one OF the chickens
Then, again, it is bad luck, as sailor
say, to kill these gulls hat follow ship
out at sea, as they are considered til
harbingers of good luck. If dolphin
accompany the vessel, it is also consid
cred a good on,en."
A singular incident happened som
years ago on board an American shiI
A few days out from New York, n boob,
n bird somewhat like a gull. but niue
smaller, alighted in the foretop, and Oh
of the sailors went up and caught i
The BOBBY was brought on deck, whel
it WAS attacked by the ships dog. I'll
animal few at the bird, which drove il
bill down the dogs throat, and thus til
two remained until separated. I'll
BOBBY was thrown overheard and W.
not seen for some time, when suddcnl
1t r~eappeared. perched in the foretc
again. A sailor went aloft and capture
1t, and it was brought down and take
into the ~forecastle where the sailors he
n trial and the bird wa sentenced
death. The executioner was the ca
penter, and the unfortunate BOBBY W
beheaded- The dog disappeared aft
the encounter, but Immediately after Il
bird was killed it came on deck and begs
running around in q circle. This "
continued for some time, when sudden
1t made q dash for the stern Of the sh
and jumped overheard. Even the ca
tain, q Boston man, was affected by Il
incident, and for several days the deepe