t the last generation had a strong tradition,
which could not be subdued, that no clerical gentleman
should be looked upon with favour as a passenger. The
boycott was sometimes carried out against him during the
voyage with unrelenting cruelty. Ever since the Lord
commanded Jonah, the son of Amittai, to arise and go to
Nineveh, and the Hebrew preacher took passage aboard the
ship of Tarshish instead, there has been trouble. The
senseless antipathy has been handed down the ages, and the
legacy comes from a shameless gang who were cowardly
assassins, from the skipper downward! Poor Jonah! The
tempest did not unnerve _him_; for, while the other
drivelling creatures were chucking their wares overboard, he
slept peacefully, until the bully of the crowd, and no doubt
the greatest funk, called out to him, "What meanest thou, O
sleeper? Arise, call upon thy God, if so be that God will
think upon _us_ that we perish not!" These creatures always
want sacrifices made to save their own precious skins; and
they found in the poor penitent Hebrew a willing sacrifice.
He _agreed_ that they should cast him into the sea! It is
not recorded what methods of torture were used in order to
extract his consent; but it is pretty safe to assume that
the Tarshish crew made it so hot for the poor man that he
was glad to say to them, "Take me up and cast me forth into
the sea!" Thus it comes to pass that the race of seamen
cling to a tradition which originated in craven ignorance.

Some years ago a large party was invited by me to a trial
trip of a new steamer. Amongst the guests were a number of
ministers, some of whom were my personal friends, and some
the friends of others who had been invited. A gentleman who
had been in my service for many years held strongly to the
old tradition against clerics, and vowed that no good would
ever come of such a reckless breach of nautical etiquette.
He felt assured that much ill would come of it. His
countenance the whole day betokened internal conflict! He
refused to be ridiculed into consolation, and I think has
felt chagrined ever since that nothing has happened to
justify his prophecy. It must not be supposed, however, that
men holding these views carried their resentment ashore.
Many of them were on easy terms of friendship with
sky-pilots, and listened to their devotional efforts and
teaching with fervent submission. A story, which is known
and reverently believed by the typical sailor, has done
s