Daily Yellowstone journal., 1886-12-14
HOW SAILORS VIEW BIRDS.
Some of the Rsathsred Tribe Bring
Good Luck-Others Mean Misfortans.


Some of the Fsathsred Tribe Bring
Good Luck-Others Mean Misfortans.
Sailors are credited with being the
most superstitious persons living. They
have whims, fancies and beliefs con-
nected with every ordinary occurrence
of ordinary life, and their actions are
all influenced by some one or more OF
these occurrences. On land they watch
for black cats, cross-eyed people, ladders
and many other objects, and ON sea their
lives are made happy or unhappy by
many OF the lesser rather than the
greater scenes Of the voyage. They are
believers in fate, and when at sea they
say their fate is more or less influenced
by the birds that come and perch on
their masts or yards. An old and edu-
Gated sea captain, who has weathered
many storms, been shipwrecked dozen
times and who is yet hearty and hale,
was met recently on one of the wharfs
that surround this city by a reporter. The
weather beaten tar and the scribe ad-
journed to "a neighboring hostelry, and
over some steaming hot grog and cigars
they chatted about the superstitions con-
nected with birds at sea.
YES" said the captain, as he blew a
long, thin column of smoke through his
lip and watched it curling fantastically
through the air. "Yes, we have few
little fancies when at sea about birds,
and some are little sacred when a gull
or swallow perches on our mast; but,
as rule, we are pleased to see these
feathery beauties, especially after long
voyage, for then we know we are near
ing land, and will soon be among our
friends again. The belief of old sailors
is that il an albatross be slaughtered it
at once becomes necessary to keep ones
weather eye lifting for squalls, but that
no harm follows if the bird be caught
with piece of fat pork and is allowed
to die natural death on deck. The
common house sparrow is much re-
spected at sea. 1t is gravely asserted
that should sparrows be blown away to
sea and alight upon ship they are not
to be taken or even chased away, for in
proportion as the birds are molested
must sail be shortened to provide
against the storm that will certainly
come. The harmless and beautiful gull.
whose lovely sweepings, and curvings
through the air, whose exquisite self
balancing capacity in the teeth OF liv-
ing gale, whose bright eyes, salt, shrewd
voice and webbed foot folded in bosoms
of ermine it is impossible to sufficiently
admire, has commercial value that sets
it high in the longshoreman's catalogue
of things to be approved. When this
bird appears in great numbers then is its
presence accepted as an infallible sign
of the neighborhood of herring shoals.
1T is reckoned bad sign for ravens
to perch on the mast of ship. There
is an old superstition that the rotten
timbers OF foundered ships generate
birds. Even dead bird may prove a
soothsayer, according to Jack, for, says
he, il kingfsher be suspended to the
mast by its beak it will swing its breast
in the direction of the coming wind.
Years ago swallows were deemed un-
lucky at sea. II kite perches on the
mast the omen is a good one. A crow
lighting on a ship is accepted as sure
sign of prosperous winds, and they feed
the bird with crumbs of bread by the
way of coaxing it to remain. 1t is said
in the English channel fishermen at
tribute the east wind to the flight of the
curlew on dark nights. New York
Mail and Express.