Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1888-10-20
NatInns lhGut the Sea.

,EIiOiiS ,ile peoples III uOlu c0llhl
nentF. as shown ny their popular
proverbs and sayings, a wholesome
fear of the sea. recognition Of it's
terrible power. "a we'll "a MANY
curious notions s.bnnt the watery
element. its inhabitants and its
characteristics.
The saving of Dir. Johnson, Ono
man will be a sailor who has con
srivarce enongh to get himself into
a JAIL" is more than parallelcd by
proverbs current among European
nAtions. An old French maxim
vas: hE4e who trusts himself on
the sen is either a fool, OF he is
poor. or he wants to die" One of
the alternatives serves as a poor
excnse to The Spaniarl, who saws:
'.Better walk poor than sail rich"
In The same spirit is conceived the
italian rrovrrh, "Praisc the sea.
hut stay OH shore" "Hc who would
learn TO pray should go to sea-"
says a we'll known proverb, and
I: Tie who does not vontura upon
the sea, knows not what God is"
replies that most hardy and adven
fnreSome of maratime nations. the
Dutch. The Russians say, "When
you walk, pray once; when Won go
10 sea. pray twice; when Won 20 to
be married, pray three times
These sayings outline in agrn-
eral waythe dangerous character
of HE sea. andzits treacher0uS ia-
tnre, its instability and it's i'm
mcnsity, are pointed ont By other
proverbs ami aphorlsmS.
1.-THE sea makes some rich.othcrs
DOOR," is a general proposition
ennnciatcd in a Provcncal adagp.
hut the American proverb, "Wnrk
with me and willnonrisll yon;lock
out for me or I will drown yon."
teaches tie uncertain nature of the
sea life, and we may be disposed
TO heed the warning embodied III
the Turkish maxim, "Trnst not the
discourse Of the great,t the Duration
OF a calm at SEA, the lucidity Of the
tleeting dav,the vigor Of tiy horse,
or the speech Of woman" The
gentle sex is claSSed with the
frcachrrcus element in other pro
verbs, current among many nations.
Women, however, ia often the
greater sufferer from the danger.
Gus nature of the sailors calling,
and Tamil proverb says. 'The
wife of a shlpmastcr is in Il lucky
situation SC longas the ship is safe;
if If is lost, she mnst beg. "The
sea has no branches TO cling toy,
therefore it Is better to stay on"
said The German wondsman. and
the French rustic agrees with him:
"A,lmire The sea an much us you
will. Int dcn't stir from the COW
sheds" The Arab fears the sea
today much rs he did in the Fiji.
teentll century, when he declared
that the hand Of Satan rose from
the hos ON Of The s.sea of darkness"
to seize his ilail bark. at is bet
ter" says he, "to hear the helch-
ingS Of the camel than the prayers
of the fish," and he declares the
obstinate and dangerous character
of the stormy sea in he adage,
'.rhe sea has a tender stomach, but
head hard as wood" SIN tray
eling,n says an old French proverb,
stake the sea, bnt creep to the
Shore" and an older saying from a
lacetions work a century old con.
clu,lcS thus: "The ship is a fool,
for il moves continually: the sailor
is "a fool. for he changes his mind
With every breeze; tho water il u
foo, FIR it is never atill; the wind is
fool, for it blows without ceasing..
Let US make an end at once OF nay-
igation."
Concerning the tides, waves and
salt wafer. there have been many
curious sayings as well az strange
SuperstItlonS. s'That which goes
witt, the ebb comes back with the
food" is another way Of express
ing a well known sailor adage that
.'What comes by starhoarl goes by
larboard.n Another French prov
erb is expressive of extreme de
lance OF difficulties: $40 brave
dangers IL. lile leeward tide does
the wind.n v hat beautiful idea
is that conveyed by the SanscrlI
sentence: SIT Is the poeiS and not
the ordinary men who rejoice in
bfautllul poetca expressions; the
Influence of the rays Of the moon
swells the sea, brt not the brook
The use Of maritime expressions
is much more common even among
landSmcn far from the sound OF the
sea than lis usually supposed to
be-. The Dutch are provcrblally
addicted to the use of sea language,
their Inheritance from the SEA rob-
bels OF the Sixteenth century, and
Mr.. Clark Russell has shown that
the English language borrows MANY
Off most expressive phrases from
the sailors. We SLY a couple are
"spliced," Il young man is the
"main stay'' of the f;lmily,an inter
loper "puts his oaI in" the mem-
Der from Podunk "steers through"
ii man is lizard up," we are fle-
quently staken aback," ii topper is
..slewel,"a loaier "spins yarn,"
you must "tly the other tack" esc.,
all sea- expressions beyond a doubt;
"Undel false colprsn would he said
Of !, ship, as well lis Of traitor
(Ilobn 1luOnp,ut