nd to eat as they did. They
even taught her something of religion, or, at any rate, to bow
reverently when she passed a crucifix; but they could not teach her to
speak. What was the ultimate fate of this remarkable creature is not
disclosed.

Everybody, of course, is familiar with the old sea-legend of the _Flying
Dutchman_, whether in stories of phantom ships, or in the opera of
Wagner. The spirit of Vanderdecken, which is still supposed to roam the
waters, is merely the modern version of our old friend, Nikke, the
Norwegian water-demon. This is a deathless legend, and used to be as
devoutedly believed in as the existence of Mother Carey, sitting away up
in the north, despatching her 'chickens' in all directions to work
destruction for poor Jack. But Mother Carey really turns out on inquiry
to be a most estimable being, as we shall presently see.

'Sailors,' says Brand, in his Popular Antiquities, 'usually the boldest
Men alive, are yet frequently the very abject slaves of superstitious
Fear. They have various puerile Apprehensions concerning Whistling on
Shipboard, carrying a Corpse, etc., all which are Vestiges of the old
Woman in human Nature, and can only be erased by the united Efforts of
Philosophy and Religion.'

It is to be regretted, however, that the good Brand did not devote as
much attention to the superstitions of sailors as he did to those of
some other folks.

As is the case with almost all folk-lore, little variety is to be found
in the sea superstitions of different nations. The ideas of the
supernatural on shipboard are pretty much the same, whether the flag
flown be the Union Jack, the German Eagle, the French Tricolor, the
American Stars and Stripes, or even the Chinese Dragon. These
superstitions are numerous, and are tenaciously preserved, but yet it
would not be fair to say that seamen are, as a class, more superstitious
than landsmen of their own rank. The great mystery of the sea; the
uncertainty of life upon its bosom; the isolation and frequent
loneliness; the wonder of the storms, and calms, and lights--everything
connected with a sailor's occupation is calculated to impress him with
the significance of signs and omens.

That mariners do not like to have a corpse on board is not remarkable,
for many people ashore get rather 'creepy' if they have to sleep in a
house where lies a dead body. Moreover, the old idea of bad luck which
led to the throwing overboard of Jonah, is in this case t