SOME STRANGE BELIEFS

Greymouth Evening Star, 14 October 1939, Page 3

SOME STRANGE BELIEFS

SAJLOUS AND THE WEATHBK. Weather at sea has been responsible for the origination of many strange beliefs among sailormen. Naturally, a sailor of the old windjammer days hoped for good weather, with fair winds to blow his ship from port to port. Everything possible was done to ensure this favourable condition, and Jack was willing to try anything that would make certain fast passages, from consulting soothsayers to observing certain ceremonies practised from time immemorial.

Many., an old waterside witch was supposed to guarantee fair winds if her palm was suitably crossed with silver, while, if her request ior a blessing was refused, she could send storm or even disaster to crew and ship. Certain of these old cronies in English ports made a substantial living from sailors about to sail across the Western Ocean to the Americas by their gifts of jveather control and prophecy. Women as a, rule were not liked aboard sailing ships because it was thought ’ that they always caused trouble, chief of which was had weather. Should a woman toss a. rock or handful of sand overside it presaged the arrival of a hurricane. Yet should a birth occur on a ship it meant that the vessel from then on was blessed, and that all its future voyages would be fair winds and prosperous.

Preachers, or “Holy Joes,” as Jackcalled them, were heartily disliked as passengers. The old belief was that the preacher was always seeking to circumvent the devil, and that when be went aboard it gave “Old Nick” the opportunity to get back at his enemy' by sending a. fierce storm to overwhelm the ship. Gats were regarded as barometersNearly every ship carried them, and old salts watched puss carefully to see what the weather conditions were to be. The way the cat gambolled about, the decks, the manner in which she carried' her tail, and her general actions —all gave the weatherwise full information of what was due, and from what quarter, well in advance of the ship’s barometer. Sea birds were also harbingers of weather. To kill one meant storm to follow. If the bird was actually' killed aboard the ship it also meant shipwreck. Albatross accompanying a ship meant fair winds. Likewise when “Mother Carey’s Chickens,” sometimes called “Stormy Petrels.” skittered across the waves surrounding a ship it meant coming storm. When he went aboard many a sailor would be sure that he had a pinch ol salt in his pocket to ensure fair winds ahead. When a ship approached the end of its voyage all the crew would' line up at the bulwark and toss overside all of their old and worn-out clothes to ensure a fair voyage on the next trip of the ship! Russian Finn sailors were supposed to have an uncanny' control over weather conditions. II was always desirable to have one aboard a ship if possible. In order not to have the ship encounter head winds (he greatest deference was paid to the Finns. If one of them became angry all he had to do to get vengeance on the crew was to walk to the foremast and 'stick his sheath knife into it. Storfil was sure to follow.