their might and main so as to reach the shore before the next series of waves comes on. "Smaa wattir" means a calm sea. (Rosehearty, Pittulie.)
St. Elmo's light is called by the old fishermen of Footdee "Peys Aunt," and they look upon it as forecasting foul weather.
The phosphorescence of the sea has the following names: Fire-bit (Macduff), Fire-i'-the-water (St. Combs), Lamp-o'-the-water (Macduff), Sea-can'les (St. Combs). During the herring fishing the fishermen cruise about till "the lamp is i' the water" (Macduff), till "there is aneuch o' fire i' the water" (St. Combs), and so they see where the fish are.
In Macduff and Pennan it is believed that the sea-gulls utter a peculiar, mournful cry before any disaster.
When the sound of the waves is heard of a calm night on the beach, the remark is made: "There's a heavy clawpp o' the shore the nicht, it bodes nae gueed." (Peterhead.)
Before a case of drowning or any calamity by wreck the St. Combs folks speak of the "deed (dead) roar o' the sea."
The large breakers that roll over a wreck on the beach go by the grim name of "Norrawa carpenters." (Peterhead.)
The fishermen of Pittulie think that the temperature of the sea is higher when the tide is rising than when it is falling. They base their conclusion upon the fact that during the season of the spawning of the haddock, when the lines are shot during the time the tide is rising, there is always a better catch than when it is ebbing. They say the fish are sickly, and the warmer temperature strengthens them to seize the bait.
When the tide is rising the expression used at St. Combs is, "the sey's fillin'."
The St. Combs men say that when the wind blows from the north the floods are big, and that this arises from the western ocean being "poort (poured) doon upo' them."
During the first half of the month of May the sea assumes a dull colour, so that anything falling into it overboard is much sooner lost to sight than at other times. This "thickness o' the wattir" goes by various names: "The cleansan o' the sea" (Peterhead); "the gammicks o' Mey" (Pittulie); "the Mey-sob" (Pitlulie).
