. Mr. Higgins, in a state of
great excitement, went down into the cabin.

The captain then came aft to me, when I observed that I had no idea that
seamen were so very particular on that point; and I thought that they
had gone too far.

"You may think so, pilot," replied he, "but when I tell you that I fully
believe that these birds are as good as ourselves, you will not be
surprised--"

"How do you mean, as good as ourselves?"

"I believe that they _were_ every one sailors like ourselves in former
times. They are now the sailors' friends, come to warn us of the
approaching storm, and I can tell you a circumstance which occurred in
the West Indies, which fully proves to me that they are not wantonly
killed without a judgment upon those who do so. I never believed it
myself till then; but old Mason, who is now on board, was one of the
seamen of the vessel in which the circumstance happened."

"Indeed!" replied I, "I should like to hear it."

"I can't tell you now," said he; "I must go down and satisfy that puppy
Creole, whose sugars are on board. He will otherwise make such a row
between me and the owners that I may lose the command of the vessel. And
yet, would you imagine it? although he will not credit what I tell him
about Mother Carey's chickens, the foolish young man firmly believes in
the Obi."

I did not think one superstition more ridiculous than the other, but
still as I always found that it was useless to argue such points, I said
nothing, and the captain went down into the cabin to pacify Mr. Higgins.

It was late in the first watch, and when the passengers had retired to
bed, that the captain came on deck. "Well," said he, "I told Mr. Higgins
my story, and as there was a bit of Obi nonsense in it, he believed it,
and he has not only made friends, but thanked me for not having allowed
him to shoot the birds; and now I'll tell you the real story:

"A schooner was coming down from the Virgin Isles with sugar and
passengers to Antigua, where I was lying with my ship. She had a fine
young fellow of the name of Shedden on board; and, besides other
passengers, there was an old black woman, who, where she resided, had
always been considered as an Obi woman. I saw her afterward; and you
never beheld such a complication of wrinkles as she was, from her
forehead to her feet, and her woolly head was as white as snow. They
were becalmed as soon as they were clear of the islands; and, as it
happened, some Mother