The Portland daily press., 1888-06-19

Fishermen don't like to begin any under
taking on Monday What is the reason of
that superstition"
Il told yon a minuta ago that it was not 3
superstition. The meaning of it is, bad Mon
day, bad week.
Now, if one of your shipmates should
smash a looking-glass on board ship you give
up all hope of getting good haul"
Yes, sir; never saw it fail yet, and l
have seen good many broken in my time,
and just as sure as it occurred gale came on
and blew great guns. ana we were compelled
to run Tor shelter. II that failed, then we
caught no fish. Pve known men that have
had to go out of the business because they
were always smashing things. and no one
laugh at me if told you that | got a good
drubbing from skipper under whom once
sailed because l showed tho dory off rom the
side of the ship with her head pointing to
the sun"
what did that signify?"
1T means simply defying the elements, and
when you do that take my word that nothing
good comes from it.
How is it that you are SO certain of your
storm prediction"
"Oh, that is simple. Year in and year out
we study the signs of the heavens, which are
very accurate. Certain stars bright or dull
mean certain things. The wind from a Civ
en- certain quarter in certain month Is al
most sure to bring stormy. fair, dry or wet
NtdlutI DIS Tie case may D6. Inc moon
gives us good deal of information; if she is
on her back then look out for storm; If her
horns are well pointed then you may expect
cool or cold weather, according to the season
of the year. If there is large, hazy circle
around the moon then you may look out for
a good rain storm or steady rainfall. Then
the Big and Little Bears give us some useful
knowledge, according to the different posi-
lions they assume"
when going on fishing trip-l mean, of
anIrr AaaaN. SteI.t . 4l.,A
can tell exactly where to set your nets or to
cast your lines?"
That's as easy as smoking your pipe.
You see rock or bank is situated exactly
by the compass in certain bearing of local
ity. Well, we can tell just as we'll without a
compass and it is very simple Suppose the
fishing ground is 1920 or 30 miles from the
land. We sail in the direction of it until we
get two headlands in one, as it were. Then.
we can tell to dot how far we are out, and
consequently we know where the fishing
bank is, but we sail on until only one of the
headands or banks is visible; that gives us
so many miles, just as exactly as if you had
measured IL with tape, so that we know
lighthouse, or land bluff, all tend to show
the accustomed eye of the fisherman where
he is"
Then it isn't true that you can tell by the
water?"
I'm some cases we can, but as general
rule our land bearings are the most reli-
able
There is no emergency that would compel
fisherman to make any repairs on Sunday
either in the sail department, rigging or hull
of the vessel?"
Experience has taught us that Sunday
must be kept Ifyou drive nail in the
piece of the wood of your vessel on Sunday,
look out, for that Is what we call mailing the
trip. Should you mend your sails, the first
wind rips them again, and if you fix or mend
your rigging it will come down about your
head ana ears the moment you get out. |
have myself had sail needles break when /
attempted to sew on Sunday. That was
when was y0ungster and thought it
would be big thing to defy the rules"
u fail to see what there Is ominous about
turning hatch upside down. How on earth
can such au insignificant programme prove
of any c0nseGuenee?"
'Land-lubbers fail to see q great many
things, bnt we old tars know our business.
Why don't you ask me about your own SUI
perstitions? You won't walk under ladder
or string you have a dread of anything
that numbers ID; yau won't cross the line of
funeral procession; you won't look at the
new moon over the left shoulder and all that
kind OF thing. A fisherman cares nothing
for such childish whims, and yet you call us
snperstitious. Two got you here, my lad,
this time. You ask any fisherman If the
hatch falling upside down is not sign of
the worst kind of luck, and if he says no,
why, I'll eat my hat That is one Of the
surest signs of all, and the follow who does
It Is signaled out as unlucky, and I'll bet
drinks Tor the crowd that the skipper of any
sailing craft, from full rugged ship down to
smack, would swear like trooper should
he hear OF it. | want you to understand one
thing. 1t is mistake TO think fishermen SUI
perstlti0us.