ODDS AND ENDS. 



JACKY'S SUPERSTITIONS. 



By D. P. Randolph, Ph. D., U. S. N. 



In our fourteen thousand mile 

 cruise from New York to San Fran- 

 cisco, I made it a point to mingle 

 constantly with the men of the 

 Iowa for the purpose of learning 

 something of their superstitions. 

 In early days, we are told, super- 

 stition was as much a part of a ship 

 as the water in which she floated; 

 for it entered into the wood, scarfed 

 into her keel; it controlled her 

 name, her crew and her cargoes; 

 it summoned for her ill fortune and 

 evoked portents for her prosperity. 

 Certain objects, certain signs and 

 certain persons inspire Jacky with 

 an idea of the supernatural. The 

 German seaman, the British tar, 

 the Chinese waterman, the Italian 

 fisherman, the Nile boatman, all 

 share in common with the Yankee 

 blue- jacket, the fears that have 

 been handed down from their re- 

 spective marine ancestors for gen- 

 erations. Amongst the animals 

 which Jack considers as omens of 

 good or ill luck are cats, rats, hares 

 and sea-hogs. 



You would be surprised to see 

 how tender-hearted Jack is and 

 how fond he is of animals. The 

 Iowa's goat was brought on board 

 by a coxswain transferred from the 

 Dolphin, and though the captain 

 of that vessel sent for the animal 

 on two different occasions, the goat 



still remains the pride of the ship 

 and the chief source of amusement 

 of the crew. So well behaved is 

 he that none of the officers can 

 complain, He has recently become 

 thoroughly sailorized, going to 

 quarters mustering on deck and 

 otherwise observing the routine of 

 the day; he is very fond of tobacco 

 and prefers to take it from the 

 bowl of the pipe. Of all pets none 

 seems better suited for navy life 

 than this wily animal. 



A few years ago English sailors' 

 wives kept black cats to insure the 

 safety of their husbands at sea. 

 Many sailors object to having cats 

 on board. Time was when a black 

 cat was supposed to carry a gale in 

 her tail, and a storm was sure to 

 follow any display of playfulness 

 on her part; also a firm notion ex- 

 isted among the seamen that the 

 throwing of a cat overboard would 

 bring on a storm. A dead hare on 

 board a ship was considered a sign 

 of an approaching hurricane. Cor- 

 nish fishermen used to declare that 

 a white hare seen about the quays 

 at night indicated that there would 

 be rough weather. 



Dennis is the common name of 

 sea-going pigs, at one time accus- 

 tomed to have their baths at day- 

 light and be washed and brushed. 

 The Japanese sailor, you know, 

 hesitates to go to sea on any day 

 when he has encountered a pig 



