Show that there will be a blow.
* * *
Sunrise red, bad weather ahead,
Sunrise gray, a pleasant day.
* * *
When the sea’s against the wind,
Then your topsail halliards mind.
There are many more of these known to mariners, but the above are the most important and familiar and while the signs may fail at times yet it must be borne in mind that even the government experts, with their highly perfected and delicate instruments, are often at fault in their forecasts of the weather. With all our knowledge and scientific research, we really know very little about atmospheric conditions and changes and many an old sailor or fisherman can foretell fair or foul weather, wind or rain, almost as accurately as the trained observers of the Weather Bureau.