Omaha daily bee., 1909-07-03

which sailors believe went on the man
of the sea-, relighting his pipe, but in ad-
dition to these things there are many 9TH
ers in which they place more or less faith.
l have seen many old tars who believed
that Firms and Laplanders had magic pew
ers. The Firms are a strange, silent peo-
pie and lave come to have the reputation
Of being wizards II Is thought that they
can use this power for either good OF bad
and they are somewhat feared by the aver
age sailor. II is sometimes believed that a
Finn can make all the rats leave a ship 81
he wishes and that Firms have a great deal
of control over the winds. They can raise
a storm by spells and 1t is unwiSe TO nnger
them. l have heard old sailors tell Of GER
tain Films who were members OF the same
ships p with themselves in past
voyages who could send messages to alb
sent friends on shore by gulls which would
light upon the rigging at their call and re-
peat to the relatives OF the Laplander the
message that he whispered 70 them. They
also told OF a Finn who had a bottle OF
liquor from which he could drink several
times every day without lowering the con-
tents, It always remained Just as full day
after day and week after week. There are
also men Of some other nations who are
luOubhN W law " NAAA NAAAN RSW
ers.
Some Of the older sailors believe that
It is possible to buy a wind as they call
It, and by this is meant getting the favor of
certain persons who havs control over the
elements. There are not many sailors now
alive who put much taith in this, although
I have heard Of a commodore in the British
navy, who. not over twenty years ago,
said that he knew whore he could BUY a
wind II he needed II. This belief IL fast
dying out among younger msn.
Sunday has always been thought q for
tunate day to commence a voyage, and
Friday an unlucky day. This IL q belief
that is firmly fixed in the mind Of the
average sailor. And there are captains
who would hesitate to leave port on Friday
on account OF the objections the men would
be sure to make. On the other hand, tho
changes from sails TO steam are altering
this rapidly. and in these days there are
many vessels that cannot afford TO lose a
day on account Of a superstition
There are some creatures met with at
sea toward which sailors have a fixed
dislike. They dislike sharks, which follow
a ship for days, and It is thought that some
one on board IL doomed to die shortly when
one or more Of these creatures dog a vessel.
The little Mother Carey's chickens which
fly 50 far from land that they sometimes
perch on the rigging in order to rest them
selves, are believed to be the messengers
Of a storm, and for this eason they are
often called tempest birds. Dolphins or
porpoises are unfavorable 1t seen during a
calm.
IT have known sailors TO hang the end Of
a rone over the side of a ship upon leaving
port. The belief is that absent friends or
wives draw upon this rope, causing the
vessel to come safely back to home port.
7 have known men who believed that q ship
makes It's moan Just as does a human
being. before It Is about TO break up. Tales
Of speaking ships are COMMON, and I have
known one old captain who used TO talk
to the mizzenmast Of his vessel"-New
York sun.