STRANGE STORY

Hokitika Guardian, 27 December 1933, Page 8

STRANGE STORY

OF CHINESE SUPERSTITION

DEATH OCCURS WHILE AT SEA.

A strange story of sea- superstition lies behind the landing of a sick Chinese quartermaster from- the tanker Plume when she arrived iu Sydney lately from San Francisco.Fight'’ month's ago a Chinese deck hand died on board. He wag dressed in his best clothes by other members of the crew, but reluctance was shown in sewing canvas around the body. At last tjvo quartermasters did the iob and the body was buried after a service conducted by the captain. The Chinese believed that the body of the dead man would follow the vessel and consequently never moved about at night without, a torch. • ■

When the tanker left San Francisco on the present voyage a seagull left with the vessel. Each . night' it would sleep aboard, and; during the day stayed on the deck, where it was thrown morsels of food

Even the dog belonging, to the chief officer, whose main delight was to catch birds, never managed to frighten it away, The crew became worried when the bird still remained.-: Some thought, like the mariners of old, 'that the bird was-the spirit of their dead companion One day off Honolulu the bird left and wa s not seen again. But the crew still said,- "Bird too long on ship. No good.” The next day one of the quartermasters who had assisted in sewing the canvas around the body suffered a stroke and remained unconscious for several days. Advice for treatment was received by radio, and at'Sydney he was landed and examined. He was then allow to return to his ship.