The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1889-01-02
SOME EXPLODED sUPERsTlTloNs.
How Mariners Catch the Albatross and
Make Pillows with the Feathers.

SOME EXPLODED SUPERSTlTlONS.
How Mariners Catch the Albatross and
Make Pillows with the Feathers.
Il was much interested, said an old
sailor to reporter, "by an article on the
superstitions of sailors. But must con-
fess that was no less amused than in
terested. All the old time su;,crstitions
and beliefs which have chiefly owed tl;cir
existence tc' the exaggeration of the poets
were resul1ected, so to speak, and laid to
the charge of the sailor of the present
day. Nothing could be more absurd.
The sailor of today is no more supcrsti-
tious than the average landsman, and as
rule great deal more practical and
matter-of-fact. Go on board SHIP and
study the rigging and fitting. There is
not rope rove in block or.a plank laid
without the most precise calculation and
forethought. a sailor never sits down to
do job, from making beckett for a
bucket to splicing an eight stranded wire
rope. without first having worked the
whole thing out in his mind. There's
but one way of doing things, you II hear
the old bo' sun say, and that IS the right
way
s.The fellow that said in that article
that sailor won't allow an albatross to
be killed for fear of i'll luck, had evidently
never rounded the Horn. Why, when I
went to sea first I was full of that 'Rinle
of the Ancient Mariner When we
neared Staten Island I looked with all my
eyes for the bird When one did appear
sailing majestically along without Tapping
its large wings once in half an hour, |
felt chill of reverentil awe and stood
with my mouth wide open, a whole pan
Drama of Gustave Dore's illustrations Of
the poem fitting through my mind.
What are ye doin' ther,' suddenly
yelled the mate. s.that maxim sennit?
If I've to speak to ye agen III make ye
stradGae that spanker boom for week.
Here, jump down into my room an get
my tishin' lines; dye hear? Skip And
the mates heavy sea boot emphasized his
words. When I returned to the deck
with the lines, Here, says he, git aft
there, you lazy lubber, and catch an
albatross. 1 promised that wife of mine
that I'd bring her an elder down piller
this v'y'ge.'
Catch an albatross!' I echoed, para
lyzcd with terror at the thought.
= If ye don't skip an hold yer jaw
III Here, give me that. you BOBBY
And the mate took the line from me and
led me aft to show me how to catch al
batross. This is a verT simple operation.
An ordinary strong :;sainS line is pro-
cured and strong hook attached to the
end imbcddcd in a piece of tempting fat
pork. 1t is paid out astern, piece of
cork keeping the Eno afoat. No sooner
does the albatross perceive the delicious
morsel than he makes downward
swoop. Why, you never saw a prettier
sight than the elliptical sweep the huge
birds make, their wings stretched out as
stiff as board. Never flap, sir. One
-~ins inst dashes up the water near the
bobbing nork and then the Lird ,rbools
around again and drops in the water. In
a moment the bait is swallowed and then
the fight begins. I have seen four men
find it hard job to haul in an albatross,
for it extends its wings and catches the
wird and sometimes they won't rise,
but stretch out their wings and hold
water, and then something goes, the hook
or the line, maybe.
But they generally get the big birds
aboard. They kill them there and skin
them. The wings they use for orna-
ments, and the heads are hung over the
stern and allowed to drag in the water,
which soon leaves the skull as clean as
whistle. The softer feathers are used to
make pillows or beds, but the skins make
beautiful fur cloaks. You see, after
plucking the feathers out a lovely down
remains on the skin which looks, for all
the world, like white fur. Why, sir, I
have at home two of the prettiest curly
headed little rogues of girls you ever saw,
and they each have coat of albatross
fur. They're the envy of every one in
that quiet little country town in the east.
There isn't much superstition about
that, is there? Why. I've caught as
many as twenty albatrosses on voyage.
Of course, there are many captains who
will not allow them to be caught for hu-
manity's sake. Others, again, like to
catch them, and attach piece of tin or
wood, with the name of the vessel and
the latitude and longitude on it, to the
leg, then let them go.
Then, again, in tle article referred
to, the sea gull is spoken of as weather
prophet. Now, I don't see why what is
really true should be caHed sailors su-
perstition.' There never was anything
truer than the English notion that these
birds take to the land before southeast
or southwest wind sets in. These winds
always bring rain to those coasts, and
long before they break the sky is overcast
and the air moist. is just such weather
that draws the earthwornls from their
holes, and what more delicious dish IS
there for a sea gull than the dainty earth
worm? Why, the fields ere covered with
sea gulls at such times, and yet purely
natural occurrence is called sailors su-
perstition.
Another superstition that on my first
voyage I found was exploded among
sailors was the belief that the stormy
petrol never rests, and that its appearance
indicates coming storm. There is no
doubt they are remarkably restless little
creatures. but they rest on the water and
plume their feathers the same as any
other birds. As to their appearance in
dicating storm I've never given the
thing much notice; but this I know, and
that is, that l have seen them flying
around the ship in the calmest as well as
in the storniiest weather.