Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes Co., O. [Ohio]) 1870-1895, 1874-01-15
THE YARN OF THE ..NANCY BELL, ,,

This selection has been rendered quite pop
ular during the past season by its repetition
in different sections OF the country, by ]. NJ
Bellew, the distinguished English reader.l
Twas on the shores that round our coast,
From Deal to Ramsgate span,
That found alone, on q piece of stone,
An elderly naval man.
His hair was weedy, his beard was long,
And weedy and long was he;
And heard this wight on the shore, recite
In = singular minor key
80, am a cook and captain bold,
And the mate of the Nancy brig,
And a bo'sun tight, and midshipmite,
And the crew ofthe captains gig"
And he shook his fists and tore his hair;
Till really felt afraid,
For couldn't help thinking the man had
been drinkin,
And SO L simply said
. 80, elderly man, it's little know
OF the duties or the men of the sea,
And Pll 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 midshipmite,
And the crew of the captains gigp'
u ),
Is a trick all seamen parn,
And having got rid of a'thumping quid,
He spun this painful yarn:-
s'Twas in the good ship Nancy BeI,'
That We sailed to the Indian Sea,
And thereon reef we come to grief.
Which has often occurred to me.
sand pretty nigh all o. the crew was drown
There was seventy seven O. soul,)
And only ten ofthe 'Nancy's' men
Said Here to the muster roll.
''There was me, and the cook, and the cap
tain bold.
And the mate of the Nancy brig.
And bo'sun tight aud q midshipmite,
And the crew of the captains gig.
"For month, we'd neither wittles nor drink,
Till a hungry, We did feel,
So we drawed a lot, and, accordin', shot
The captain for our meal.
''The next lot fell to the sNancy's' mate,
And q delicate meal he made;
Then our appetite, with the midshipmite,
We seven survivors, stayed.
San thea we murdered the bo'sun tight,
And he much resembled pig;
Then we wittled free, did the cook and me,
On the crew Of the captains gig.
ssThen only the cook and me was left,
And the delicate question, which
OF us two goes to the kettle?' arose,
And we argued it out as sich.
"ForI loved that cook as brother,I did,
And the cook he worshiped me;
But we'd both be blowed ii we'd either be
slowed
In the other chaps hold, You see,
" sPll be eat if you of me- says Tom,
Yes, that says 1, you'll be,
I'm boiled if die, my FRIEND quoth 1;
And Exactly so,' quoth he.
''says he, Dear James, to murder me
Were foolish thing to de,
For don't you see you can't cook me,
While 1 can-and will-cook you?'
so he boils the water, and he takes the salt
And pepper in portions true,
(Which he never forgOt.) and some chopped
shalot,
And some sage and parsley, too.
I" 'Come here says he, with proper pride,
Which his smiling features tell;
'Twill soothing be, if let you see
How extremely nice you'll SMELL
ssAnd he stirred it round, and round,
And he shifted at the foaming froth;
When ups with his heels, and smOthered |
his squeals
In the scum of the boiling broth.
sand eat that cook in a week or less,
And as eating be
The last of his chops, why almost drops,
For a vessel in sight 1 see.
Sand 1 never laugh, and never smile,
And never lark norplay;
But sit and croak, and a single joke
haye-which is to say:
so, I am a cook and q captain bold,
And the mate OF the Nancy brig,
And a bosun tight, and midshipmite,
And the crew of the captains gigp'