sooner had the hated
word been uttered, than his companions assailed him in a most
unmerciful manner. His disregard of the tradition of his fathers put
an end to the fishing, it not being considered prudent by the men to
prosecute their calling any more that day. In these superstitions,
fishermen are following the examples of the ancients. It will be
remembered the names of the Furies, Kings, etc. were not to be named,
and that there were birds and beasts of ill omen.

Fishermen have an aversion to go to sea in a boat from which a man
has been drowned, and they are opposed to the breaking up of an old
boat. This last-mentioned superstition continues to prevail, and it
accounts for so many useless crafts being seen at fishing towns
unnecessarily occupying much valuable ground, as in olden times, and
as mentioned by us under "Signs, Omens, and Warnings," at page 399. At
the Tweed, fishermen still (1879) have a belief in the power of
fairies to affect the fisheries. It is the custom not only to
impregnate nets with salt, but also to throw part of that commodity
into the water, to blind the mischievous elves, who are said to
prevent fish being caught. The salting process was carried on at
Coldstream very recently, with a result highly satisfactory to the
operators, if not to others.

A ship captain has informed us that, when a young man, he incurred the
displeasure of an old seaman, with whom he sailed in one of the old
trading smacks between Leith and London. On refreshments being served
out, according to custom, one day, he (our informant) handed a jug of
beer to the old sailor through the steps of a ladder. For this act the
aged salt swore at him, and called him an unlucky lubber, while at the
same time he dealt him a severe blow on the face.

Another captain of a vessel trading between Leith and London has told
us of a singular passage he had thirty years ago. To oblige a friend,
he agreed to convey a hare to another friend in the English
metropolis. A fair wind carried the vessel past the Bass Rock, but
then a storm sprang up, which kept the ship tossing about for days
without reaching the English coast. An old sailor declared their
retarded progress was due to the hare being on board. By consent of
all the crew, the hare found a place overboard, and then the wind
became so favourable that the ship made a quick run to the Thames.

A gentleman in Edinburgh told us recently he had frequently seen
burning candles bes