San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-04-23
BRIBING THE SEA.
Human Sacrifices Once Common a.
Means of Sitting the Storms.


Means Of Sitting the storms.
From the Washington Star.
"Then the mariners were afraid,
and they said, Let US cast lots, that
we may know on whose account this
storm has come So they casts lots,
and the lot fell upon Jonah. They
took up Jonah and cast him forth
into the sea, and the sea ceased from
raging"
This, as described in the Scriptures,
was rough on Jonah but it was very
common thing in his day to make
such human sacrifices for the pur-
pose of appeasing the elements. The
Chinese use to make practice offiing-
ing men overheard during storms,
and as late as the year 1850 q number
of persons were publicly killed in one
province in order to prevent the tide
from rising higher and overlooking
certain bikes. Many African tribes
formerly sacrificed human lives to the
sea, and 1t was the custom not very
long ago in Dahomey for q man 80 be
chosen by the king on the occasion
ola periodical festival as an offering
to the ocean divinity HUI. He
was carried to the shore in q ham.
mock, attired in the costume and
having the stool and umbrella of q
Minister of State and was thrown to
the sharks. Fijians and Samosns of
old sacrificed living people to their
shark dieties.
Human beings, gayly dressed for
the ceremony, were sacrificed by the
ancient Mexicans to the spirit of a
noun tain torrent. Boats were taken
to'a whirlpool in Lake Mexico, filed
with children, and there sunk-a hor.
rid Precipitation to the gods supposed
to dwell in the subaqueous caverns
The navigators of antiquity, TO whose
imaginative ignorance the ocean
seemed peopled and beset with chi.
meras, dire and supernatural agen-
cies Of all sorts, used often to sacrifice
human lives to the mysterious water
gods. 1t Is recorded by tradition that
sacrifice to Neptune the first living
thing he met after escaping from q
storm, and, this happening to be
his con, he fulfilled the vow re-
ligiOusly. Medea nearly became
sacrifice during the return
voyage of the Argonaute. Mussel-
man chroniclers tell that at certain
intervals virgin was sacrificed to
the river Nile. but IL was later re-
placed by mummy's finger.
In ancient Scotland the same bar.
barous custom existed, which cost
Jonah so much Inconvenience. When
ship became unmanage.ble 1t was
usual to cast lots for the purpose of
discovering who was responsible for
the trouble, and the man upon whom
the lot fell was condemned. Instead
of human beings dogs used sometimes
to be thrown into the sea with their
legs bound. In Germany cakes were
offered to tine spirit jewellers of the
lakes. In winter the ice was cut
through, when, according to tradition
al belief, hand would reach out and
seize the cake. Lamps filled with
cocoanut oil were formerly set afioat
on the Ganges as an offering for those
at sea. If they sank Immediately 1t
was ominous, but it was q good sign
il they hoated until out Of sight.
In many East India Islands lie used
to be customary to set adrift email
vessels laden with food, as an offer
ing to the spirits of disease. to entice
them to sea. The Siamese still float
down the rivers little bamboo RATS.
bearing images, offerings and lighted
tapers. Chinese boatmen in dead
calm set paper boats afloat in order
TO secure breeze. The use of oil to
calm the waves is men toned by Plu-
tarch, and it is possible that recog-
milton of its real efficacy often led TO
it's use as an offering. Frequently
the offering of gratitude for preservs-
ton from the Sea took the form of
q model of the ship in which the
danger was incurred. Such q vetive
vessel was found In the coffin of an
Epyytia queens and is preserved
in the museum at Boulak, near
Cairo. IT is OF solid gold, mounted on
wheels of bronze There are twelve
silver rowers and a captain an helms
man in solid gold. &
A story is told of Frenchman on
shipbosrd in storm, who beloved
out promises Of q wax image of st.
Christopher as large as that gentle
mans statue at Paris on condition
that he should be preserved from
death. A fellow passenger nudged
him, and suggested that he could
not pay for such an image. even IL he
sold all his possessions. But the other
replied. in whisper: "Be still, you
fool! Do you fancy / am speak
ing in earnest? If I once
touch the shore shall not give him
tallow CANDLE" Equally absurd is
the account given of q certain man
who. greatly terrified by rough
weather on the ocean vowed he
would eat no more ham. Just as the
danger was over he qualified his
promise by adding, without mustard,
o, Lord"
Mistaken Ideuty