Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1870-01-27
Miscellaneous.
SEA SONGS.
The Sailors Shanty Old and New
Songs

~ 10A-bA oA.14tN O.Q dan 4NtH
Songs.
\ writer in ChdmJer's .JJprnai SAYS !:
II once heard an old salt remark
that = gpOl ,hanty was the best bar in
the capstan; and he spoke truly. \
good loie. and new and stirring
chorus are worth an extra hand on
board a merchantmen. which. as a rule
i manned with the least possible mum
ber that the law allows. and often goes
10 sen short handed. even according To
| the rarsim pnlous calculations Of its
Epwncr>. The only way the heavier
pork can be done AT all is 5y each man
long his utmost at the same moment
his Is regulated by the snantv, the
tnc song Of the 'toilers Of the sea II
; not recreation: IL is an essential
part of the work on shipboartl. 1t is
the -hanty that mast-heads the topsail-
yards when making sail it starts and
weighs the anchor; it brings down the
main-tack with a will il loads and I'M
load, cargo it keeps the pumps going !;
in fact. ii does all the work where
unison and strength are required. 4
good shanty is TO the sailors what the
pibroch is to the Highia iander-invigor-
ating. soul-stirring. At the capstan,
on the topsail halliards. in port and at
sea. in calm and in storm, the ropes
ran smoother, the work is done quicker,
when some twenty strong voices sing !:
Haul the bowline, the fore and main top bowline
Haul the bowllne the bow line haul;
Haul the bovine, the bully. bully bowline;
Haul the bowline, the bowline haul
Il remember we'll, one dirty black
night in the channel, beating up for the
Mersey against stiff breeze, coming
on deck near midnight, just as the ship
was put about. When ship is tack
ing. the tack and sheets (ropes which
| contine the clews. or lower corners of
the sails) are let rnn. in order that the
yards may be swung round To meet the
altered position of the ship. They then
must be hauled taut again, and behaved,
or secured. in order to keep the sails
in their places, and to prevent them
from shaking. When the ships head
comes up in the wind, the sail is for a
moment OF two edgewise to it, and then
is the nice moment, as soon as the
head-sails fairly fill, when the MAIN
yard and the yard above it can be
swung readily, and the tacks and
sheets hauled in. If the ship is short
handed, or the crew slow at their work,
and the sails get fairly filled on the new
tack. it is a fatiguing piece of work
enough to board the tacks and sheets,
as it is called. Tie crew are pulling
at one end of the rope but the gale is
ttugging at the other. The best plan
Fin such cases is to put the helm down
little, and set the sails shaking again
before they can be trimmed properly.
1T was just at such time l came
on deck as above mentioned. Being
near eight bells, the watch on deck had
not been over smart, and the conse
quenoe was that our big main-course
was flying out over head with might
that shook the ship from stem to stern.
The flaps of the mad canvas were like
the thumps of giants fist upon big
drum. The sheets were jerking at the
Delaying pins, the blocks rattling in
sharp snappings like castanets. You
could hear the hiss and seething of the
sea alongside, and see it dash by II