Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-08-06

sea will not cast ashore their bodies
but that the corpses Of landsmen are
sure to be c0ntemptHously washed on
land. Seamen believe that seagulls
retiring to land foretell a storm, but
this migration of sea birds generally
arises from their security In finding
food, such as earthwornls and Larvae
out of the ground by severe foods
the fish on which they prey in fine
weather leave the surface and go deep
er during q storm.
Ono of the most carious instances
Of a belief IN bird omens occurred
some years ago. The captain OF the
Norwegian bark Eden, who picked up
40 Of the passengers and crew of the
Central America. after the steamer
had sunk, arrived in New York on the
Goth Of December, and made the fol~
lowing singular statement: Just
before o'clock on the afternoon OF
Sept. u, was standing on the quar-
tor deck, with two others of the crew
at the same time, beside the man at
the helm. Suddenly q bird flew around
me, first grazing my right shoulder.
Afterwa1d it few around the vessel,
then IL commenced to fly around my
head, 1t soon few 9t my face, when
I caught hold of it. The bird was IN.
like any had ever seen. The color
of It's feathers was dark iron gray
the body was a foot and half in
length, with wings three and a half
feet from tip to tip. It had beak
fully eight inches long and teeth like
a hand saw. In capturing the bird it
gave me bite on the thumb; two of
the crew who assisted in tying its legs
were also bitten. AS it strove to bite
everybody [ had it's head cut off and
the body thrown overheard. When
the bird flew to the ship we were 60
ing little east Of northeast. [ res
garded the appearance of the bird as
az omen, and an Indication that
must change ny course. Iaccording-
ly headed to the eastward direct. 7
should not have deviated from my
course bad not the bird visited the
ship, and had it not been for this
change, Of course, I should not have
fallen in with the fortyrnine persons
whom l fortunately saved from sud-
den death"
Dolphins and porpoises playing
about ship betokens stormy wheath-
er, a9d are unlucky omens to the
modern sailor The ancients, how
ever, regarded the appearance of the
dolphin as sign of good fortune.
A belief prevails among some fisher
men that when any person is drown
ed a voice is heard from the water,
OMNIBUS Of a squali II a cat plays
with gown or apron it is a sign Of 8
gale. There are persons who pretend
to have seen the seadog Shock. who
comes out OF the sea at times by way
OF recreation and roams over the
hills. Carrying dead bodies la ships
has always been a sore point with
sailors. A c9ffin, made of the main
mast of the French ship LOrient, was
sent to Nelson by a brother sailor to
remind him amid all the glory that
attended him he was but mortal. The
great commander received the present
in proper spirit, and had the coffin
placed IN his own cabin in the Van
guard, but at length, in compliance
with the sUperstltious feelings of his
crew, he ordered the monitor of NOR
tality to be sent below.
SneeziGg, a potent omen in ancient
days, had it's potent for good or evil
among seamen. A sneeze on the left
SIDE at the moment of embarking pro-
nostigated evil, while a fortunate
sneeze on the right side insured a
favorable voyage. AS a general rule,
it may be added, that seannen can as
sign no sensible reason for their pet
likes and disIikes. hopes and fears,
but they seem to cling to them naore
pertinaciously on that account.