92 FISHERMEN'S MEMORIAL AND RECORD BOOK. 



Fishermen's Superstitions Eemarkable Verification 

 of Dreams Presentiments, 



Fishermen, like seamen, are quite apt to be a little superstitious, 

 as the very nature of a seafaring life engenders this, and nearly 

 every man who follows the avocation has some pet ideas of this na- 

 ture, which he cherishes with a sort of sacreclness, which possesses to 

 him a sense of reality, and becomes as it were a part of his life. 

 Some are so superstitious, in regard to sailing on Friday, that it would 

 be next to an impossibility to get them to leave port on that day ; 

 others have a favorite notion of pitching coppers and nickel coins on 

 Half- Way Eock, whenever the vessel sails near enough to it, for this 

 purpose, and entertain an idea that this will bring them good luck oil 

 the trip. Then again there is an idea quite prevalent that, if a single 

 bird should alight on board of a vessel, as they sometimes will, when 

 blown far away from land, no good luck will come from the trip. So 

 earnest are some in this respect that they have actually put back and 

 changed the voyage. It would indeed be very singular if there were 

 not instances where the change of programme has not resulted satis- 

 factorily, and these instances have strengthened the belief in the omen. 

 Some believe in dreams, and are quite tenacious on the subject, and 

 are never so happy as when they have a good dream of their own to 

 relate, or some marvellous tale of the verification of dreams which 

 they have read or heard tell of. Two instances of the remarkable 

 verification of dreams on board vessels of the fleet have come under 

 our notice, as follows : 



THE SINKING OF SCHOONER SACHEM. 



The springing aleak and loss of schooner Sachem, of this port, 

 occasioned by her sinking on Georges, September 8th, 1871, was 

 attended by a singular circumstance, which is fully substantiated by 

 the master of the vessel, Capt. J. Weuzell, from whose log-book we 

 gleaned the particulars : 



The vessel left Brown's Bank on the 7th of September, at nine 

 o'clock P.M.,' for Georges, with a fresh N. W. breeze. At midnight, 

 the steward, John Nelson, arose from his berth, and going aft, where 

 the skipper was, remarked, in an agitated voice, his whole appearance 

 indicating great fear : 



