Long before Franklin suggested pouring oil on stormy water, Martin’s Account of the Western Islands described the steward of St Kilda, who lived on Pabbay, calming the sea his own way. In a storm he tied a bundle of puddings made of seabird fat to the end of his cable and let it trail in the water behind the rudder, which he said stopped the waves from breaking. The drawback was that the smell of the grease drew whales towards the boat.
Calming the Sea at St Kilda
Printed under 4 February · St Kilda and Pabbay, Outer Hebrides
No longer kept
is accustomed in time of a storm to tie a bundle of puddings, made of the fat of sea-fowl, to the end of his cable, and lets it fall into the sea behind the rudder
From Hone's Every-Day Book, vol. 2, col. 192. Read the original
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