The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1872-02-02
The Yarn of the "Nancy Bell.0


ny W. $. GILBERT.
Twas on the shores that round the coast
From Dcai TO Ramsgate span,
That found alone, on piece OF stone,
An elderly naval man.
His hair was weedy his beard was long,
And weedy and long was he.
And l heard this wight on the shore recite
In n singular minor Key:
"0h. am n cook and a Captain bold.
And the mate of The Nancy brig.
And a osun tight and midshipmite.
And the crew of the Captains gig."
And he shook his fists and tore his hair,
Till | really felt afraid,
For couldn't help thinking the man had beer
drinking,
And so | simply said:
oh, elderly man, it's little know
OF the duties or men of the sea,
And I'll eat my hand if | understand
How you can possibly be
At once a cook, and Captain bold.
And the mate of the Nancy brig,
And a bo'sun tight and a midshipmte,
And the crew of the Captains gig"
Then he gave a hitch to his trowsers, which
Is trick all seamen larn,
And having got rid of n humping quid,
lie spun this painful yarn:
Twas on the good ship. Nancy Bell,
That we sailed TO the Indian sea,
And there on n reef we came to grief
Which has often occurred to me.
And pretty nigh all o. the crew was drowned
(Ihere was seventy seven o souD
And only ten of the Nancy's men
Said Here ! TO the mustcr-rOll.
There was me and the cook and the Captain
bold.
And the mate of the Nancy brig.
And the bo'sun tight and the midshipmite,
And the crew of the Captains gig
For month we'd neither whites nor drink
Till hungry we did feel,
So, we drawed lot, and, accordin' shot,
The Captain for our meal.
THE next lot fell to the Nancy's mate.
And delicate dish he made;
Then our appetite with the midshipmite
We seven survivors stayed.
And then we murdered the DO sun tight
And he much Tesembled pigs
Then we wttled free, did the cook ard me,
On the crew of the Captains gig,
"Then only the cook and me was left,
And the delicate question, Which
OF us two goes to the kettle 2 arose.
And we argued 1t out ms SIGH.
90 For loved that cook as a brother, / did,
And the cook he worshiped me;
But we'd both be blowed if we'd either be
slowed
In the other chaps hold. you see.
III be eat if you dimes off me-. says Tom;
Yes. that. SAYS |, you III be-"
I'm boiled if die, my friend, quoth l
And Exactly So quoth he.
"Says he, Dear James, to murder me
We're foolish thing to do
For don't you see that you can't cook me-,
While | can--and will-coOk youy
$50 he boils the water. and takes the salt
land the pepper in portions true
(Which he never forgot and some chopped
shalot,
And some sage and parsley too.
80 Come here says he, with a proper pride.
Which his smiling features tell,
Twill soothing be if l let you see,
How extremely nice you'll SMELL
And he stirred it round and round and round,
And he shifted at tn C foaming froth,
When ups with his heels, and smothers his
squeals
In the scum of the boiling broth.
And eat that cook in week or less,
And-as | eating be
The last Of his chops why | almost drops,
For vessel in sight l see
" And never arf and l never smile,
And | never lark nor play,
But | sit and croak. and single Joke
| have--which is to say:
"0h. / am n cook and Captain bold.
And the mate of the Nancy brig,
And bosom tight and midshipmite.
And the crew of the Captains gig!