SAILOR FISHERMEN OF NEW ENGLAND. 61 



another class of superstitions doubtless prevail, similar to or identical with tliose current in the 

 countries whence they came 



The superstitions of the fishermen may be roughly classified into three groups : (1) Causes and 

 indications of ill luck; (2) superstitions regarding the weather and other natural phenomena which 

 may or may not relate to causes; (3) superstitious usages which have no special bearing upon the 

 welfare of the fisherman. 



Causes and indications of ill luck. — A Jonah is any person, thing, or act which is sup- 

 posed to bring ill luck upon a voyage. It is characteristic of the fearlessness of the Cloucester 

 fisherman and the energy with which he throws himself into his occupation thai these prejudices 

 of ill luck are rarely applied to the fate of the vessel itself. Concerning this the men have but little 

 anxiety, their whole interest being in the successful completion of the voyage. There are many 

 kinds of Jonahs. 



Certain persons are often selected by the fishermen as Jonahs, being those men who have been 

 unlucky in their fishing voyages. The belief in luck is very deep-seated. When a vessel is unlucky 

 on one of its voyages some of the crew are pretty certain to leave and to ship on other vessels. In 

 the course of constant changing from one vessel to another certain men chance for a number of 

 successive voyages to ship on board of unsuccessful vessels. The "ill luck" of these men soon 

 becomes known among their comrades, and they are branded as Jonahs. A man may be extremely 

 successful for a number of years and later he may fail on a few voyages, and it is at once said of 

 him that his luck has changed and that he has become a Jonah. Men are sometimes discharged 

 from vessels because of their reputation as Jonahs, although no other fault can be found with them. 

 Sometimes when a vessel is uulucky the crew resort to a strange method of determining the unlucky 

 one. They induce the cook to put a nail or a piece of wood or coal in a loaf of bread, and the man 

 who happens to get this is declared a Jonah. It has been observed, however, that when the cook's 

 verdict has been pronounced against a man who holds a good reputation as a fisherman and lucky 

 man it has little effect. "Luck" is everything, and no kind of divination will counteract its influ- 

 ence upon the reputation of its happy possessor. Sometimes the fisherman resorts to strange 

 expedients to free himself from the odor of "ill luck" which clings to him. For instance, he will 

 carry his bed-sack on deck and set it on fire, and fumigate himself thoroughly, lor the purpose of 

 exorcising the evil influence. 



Vessels sometimes get the reputation of being Jonahs. These vessels have considerable diffi- 

 culty in getting crews until their luck changes. They are sometimes withdrawn from the fish- 

 eries on this account. The schooner Florence, which was sold from Gloucester to New London, and 

 afterwards made exceedingly successful fur-sealing trips in the Antarctic Ocean, once had a bad 

 reputation as a Jonah, which perhaps influenced her owners to take her out of the fisheries. The 

 same vessel subsequently transported the Howgate expedition to Cumberland Sound. 



Certain articles of personal property or apparel are thought to be Jonahs. A man carrying 

 a black valise or wearing white woolen stockings or blue mittens would find much difficulty in 

 shipping on board of a Gloucester vessel. A black valise is regarded with special disfavor, and 

 the almost universal use of white mittens and nippers is largely due to this common prejudice 

 regarding color. It is not uncommon for the more influential and skillful fishermen to carry with 

 them some of these suspicious articles for the purpose of overcoming the prejudices of their asso 

 ciates, and the influence of such men is having good effect. There are other kinds of Jonahs which 

 are not so generally believed in. Some fishermen, for instance, think that it is a Jonah to make 

 toy boats or models on board the vessel ; oi hers, that a fiddle or a checker-board is a Jonah ; others, 

 even, that if is a Jonah to leave a bucket half-full of water on deck, or to soak mackerel in a bucket, 



