Chap. XV.—B. P.] SAILING ON FRIDAY. 
243 
yet the violent rolling qualities of the ‘ Gorgon ’ 
placed her at the mercy of either of the above-named 
vessels, which rode at anchor, especially the ‘ Sabine,’ 
in a very grim and stately manner, and looking quite 
capable of popping a shot into us between wind and 
water, somewhere near the keel, which struggled 
hard to show itself at each roll. As to our returning 
the compliment, that would have been entirely out of 
the question, for during the whole time we were lying 
at anchor at Greytown, it would have been the height 
of imprudence to cast loose the guns, so violent was 
the motion; it was lucky, therefore, that no “ diffi¬ 
culty ” arose, where it would have been so difficult to 
show our teeth. 
It was with no small delight that we exchanged the 
constant heavy rolling, enough to wear out the patience 
of Job, for the easy and pleasant motion of a ship 
under all sail. Even the old sailors’ dislike to sailing 
on a Friday was forgotten, in the realization of so plea¬ 
sant a change, malgre the starting on that ill-omened 
day. The universality of this well-known nautical 
superstition would form a curious and interesting sub¬ 
ject of investigation. Ancient mariners perpetuate it 
by the oft-told story of the foolhardy shipowner who, 
in a spirit of defiance which could not be sufficiently 
reprobated, commenced building a ship on a Friday, 
named her the ‘Friday,’ appointed a Captain Friday 
to command her, sent her to sea on a Friday, and 
thus, no doubt, ensured her foundering on a Friday, 
for nothing more was heard of her. "Why Friday 
above all other days should have been singled out by 
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