356 CUSTOMS ON SAINTS' DATS BY FISHERMEN 



able breezes, yet we read that the inhabitants of some- 

 parts of the Western Islands had implicit faith in this charm^ 

 In the chapel of Fladda Chuan there was a blue stone fixed 

 in the altar, of a round form, which was always moist. It 

 was the custom of any fishermen who were detained on the 

 island by contrary winds to Avash this blue stone with 

 water, expecting by this to obtain a favorable wind. So- 

 great was the regard paid to this stone, that any oath sworn 

 before it could never be broken. Another mode of these 

 primitive islanders to secure auspicious winds was of a 

 bucolic character, and consisted in hanging a he-goat to the 

 mast-head. 



A similar feeling with regard to the efficacy of stones,, 

 though for another object, existed among the fishermen of lona 

 This took tlie shape of a pillar, and the sailor who stretched 

 his arm along it three times in the name of the Trinity 

 could never err in steering the helm of a vessel. The Fin- 

 landers are said to have used a cord, tied with three knots, 

 for raising the wind: Avhen the first was loosed, they could 

 expect a good wind; if the second, a stronger; and if the 

 third, such a storm would arise that the sailors would not be 

 able to direct the ship, or avoid rocks, or stand upon the 

 decks. The French seaman in former days had a comical 

 notion that the spirit of the storm was propitiated by flog- 

 ging unfortunate midshipmen at the mainmast.' 



Particular seasons of the year and saints' days were held 

 in superstitious regard among mariners, and peculiar cus- 

 toms were attached to them. The old practice of setting 

 the nets at Christmas Eve was general among Swedish fish- 

 ermen. The sailors at Folkestone, in Kent, chose eight of 

 the largest and best whitings out of every boat, when they 

 came home from the fishery. Out of the profit arising 

 from these they made a feast every Christmas Eve. On 

 Allhallow's Even, or the vigil of All Saints' Day, the fisher- 

 men of Orkney sprinkled what was called fore-spoken water 



