SEA SUPERSTITIOUS

New Zealand Times, Volume LI, Issue 12021, 26 December 1924, Page 2

SEA SUPERSTITIOUS

THINSS LUCKY AND UNLUCKY “SKY PILOTS” A DANGER. A black cat is welcome on board' a ehip, and, as a guarantee of good luck, is entitled. to the best the galley can gftre it (says a writer in the Auckland “Star”). A black-coated Parson is regarded as “dangerous cargo.” They nave no use for “sky pilots” on 'board Bhip. They are “unlucky.” At least these are two of the superstitions that beset men of the sea of an earlier generation. These superstitions were generally born of coincidences either of good or bad fortune accompanying their subjects, and, although they are now becoming more or less disregarded, they are dying very bard among those men who were broken to the sea on the old windjammers, and they are none the less obstinate because they are often most unreasonable. THE FRIDAY FEAR. The writer has had more than one experience of a crew refusing to put to sea. on a Friday. Although ships now sail on any day or date convenient, at one time it was a matter of impossibility to get men to weigh anchor on the “unlucky day.” It was considered that disaster Vas Bure to follow. However, as this superstition was shattered by bold mariners, who recklessly set sail in face of fears of the timid, and who time after time reached port without experiencing fire, shipwreck, or starvation, it gradually lost its hold, although for many years there were old sailors who shook their heads at this defiance of the gods of luck, and expressing the opinion that the gods were saving their wrath for a holocaust of offending ships. One does not know exactly why cats (and especially black cats) are considered lucky, hut there have been instances time and again in which sailors have risked their own lives at sea to save those of these mascots. Boats have put back in a raging sea to a deserted ship to rescue cats forgotten in the hurry of abandonment, nor would any sailor, even to-day, hesitate to take this action, even though it imperilled his own life. In this there is something more than the. well-known humanitarian ism of the man of the sea and his proverbial fondness for cats. A eat is lucky. To kill a cat or leave it_ to -its death is unlucky. Never mind why—it is so! A TRAGIC COINCIDENCE. Some years ago one of the many stray cate along the waterfront at Napier stepped from a hulk, and hoarded a visiting ship which lay anchored in the roadstead, with the evident intention of making its abode therein. It was not exactly a clean- cat, and it consequently became unpopular, but it vjas regarded as “bad luck” to interfere with the animal, except to curse it, and so it was allowed to stay—for the time being. One day, however, it was announced that the eat was missing—■ that it had either jumped or been I thrown overboard. The crew were greatly concerned, especially the skipper. who demanded to know why a boat had not been lowered to look for and, if possible, rescue the animal. He predicted “had luck.” It is a tragically curious coincidence that the skipper ’died within a few days—killed by a giant wave which swept tho decks as Ilia ship lay at anchor ill a storm Since cats are not usually fond enough of the water to jump into it of theii own free-will, the suspicion was created that this cat was thrown over the side. But there was none game enough to admit tho responsibility, and whoever did it was a wise man to hold his tongue, for the chances are that he would have followed his victim. It was unlucky for a young sailor to mount the bridge of a steamer or the poop of a sailing vessel on the weather side. But this is more the ill-luck of stern reality than of superstition. The weather -vide is reserved for officers (on a windjammer the officer of the watch walks the weather-side of the poop), and those from the lower dock must approach from tho lee side, or they will be anything but politely received. There are exemptions,, however, in old sea customs. Veterans before the mast who have rounded tho Horn seven times may claim the privilege of the weather side. “WHISTLING FOR A WIND.” If a callow boy of to-day were to go to aea on a sailing ship and absentmindedly commence to whistle “Abie, My Boy,” “Yes, We Havo No Bananas,” or some of tho other classics of youth, the melody would probably bo ended by the forcible application of a seaboot. He might bring on a conjtrary stiff breeze, or even a gale, when his ship is speeding along under a fair wind. But he would be encouraged to whistle gently in a calm, to bring on a breeze, and also whistle for a breeze to dispel a fog. The saying to “whistle for a .wind” is from sea lore, of course. Oontnrv to statements otherwise, the sight of rats leaving a ship is still regarded as an omen of evil, and if nailers observer! tliese hated shipmates scudding ashore before sailing _ they I would feel certain that the ship was leaking, or that some accident would overtake her. But who ever saw a whole company of rate leaving a ship? As mentioned, parsons, or “sky pilots” are, or were, most unpopular on board ship. They are regarded as almost certain bringers of bad luck, and anything untoward that happens, grave or slight, is attributed to their presence. But the most unwelcome thing aboard a ship is a corpse, and even in. these days many sailors would desert before they would sail with one. And there is this strange fact in the superstition that a corpse is certain to bring disaster, that the higher the social standing of the deceased the greater the ill-luck he is presumed to bring,' Very often coffins containing corpses had to be placed in cases labelled as ordinary cargo, and shipped without any knowledge on the part of tho crew as to the contents. Most unlucky of all is the corpse of a Chinaman. THE UNLUCKY THIRTEEN. Sailors shared very deeply the common superstition as to the “unluckiness” of number 13. Accidents have happened to vessels manned by that complement, though similar accidents occurred to vessels with a leeser or higher number. It came to be regarded as certain that a crew of thir- ' teen would mean inevitable disaster, i 'jlhis superstition was even stronger than was the Friday fallacy in its day, and the writer recalls that on ono ship in which he sailed there being thirteen in the fo’c’stle, the men i solemnly drew straws —and the sailor i drawing the shortest straw packed his , Beabag and walked ashore as if it were i His inevitable duty.