The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1879-10-15
THE YARN OF THE .NANcY BELL,

Twas on the shores that round our coast
Prom Deal to Ramsga;e span,
That found alone on piccs Of stone
An elderly naval man.
HIS hair was wcedy. his besri was long.
And weedy and long was he,
And heard this wight on the shore recite,
In a singular minor key
'.oh, am cork and captain bold,
And the mate of the Nancy brig,
And bo'sun tight. and rnidshipmiie,
And the crew Of the captains gig"
And he shook his fist and h. tore his har,
TIL really felt afraid,
For l couldn't help thinking that the man had
been drinking,
And 80 j simply said
..Oh, elderly man, it's little know
or the duties Of the men Of the sea,
And III eat my hand II underz;and
However you can be
"At ence cook, and a captain bold,
And mste OF the Nancy brig,
And bo'sin tight, and midshipinite.
And the crew Of the captains gig'-
Then he gave hitch to bis trousers, which
Is a trick all seamen larn,
And having got rid OF humping qu.i.
lie spun this painful yarn;
:. Twas in the good ship Nancy Bell
That we sailed 70 tho Indian Sea,
And there on reef We came to grief,
Which has often occurred to ne,
And pretty nigh all the crew was drowned
There was seyenty-seyeh o. soul),
And only ten Of the sNancy's' men
Said sHere. to the mustcrsolI
''There was nee and the COOK All the eap;sin bod
And the mzte Of the 'Eancy' brig.
And the bo'sun tight and nIdshipnite.
AMI the crew ofthe esp.ain's gig.
''F'or month we'd neither witties nor drink,
TIL a-hungry We did feel,
80 we drawed lot and seeoriin' shot
The captain for sur meal
s.Ihe next 10. iell to the 'Naaey's' mats.
And delicate DISH he made;
Then our appetite with tie nidshipmite
We seven survivors stayed
"Ana then We murdered the bo'san light,
And he much resembled pig;
Then We wittled free. did the cook and ne,
On the crew Of tie captains gig.
Then only the cook and ne was len,
And the delicate question. (Which
ofus two goes TO the ketsie . arose
And we argued it out as sieh.
..Tcr loved that cook as brother, dill,
And tho cook he worshiped me;
I5rt we'd both be blowed If weG either BE- stoves
In ths other chaps hold, you see.
9Th be eat if you a.nes onme,' says Tom;
Yes, that says I, you'n be-
I'm boiled If die, my friend, quoth I,
And exactly Eo,' quo;b be.
ssays he: Dear James. to murder ne
Were foolish thing to Co
Fordon's you see you can't cook me,
While ean-znd Eill-cook year
so he boils the water, AMI takes the salt
And the pepper in portions true
(which he never forgot, and some chopped shslo
And some sage and parsley TOO.
'Come here, says he, with a proper pride
Which his smiling features tell,
Twill soothing be II 10; you see
How extremely nice yorll smell
"And lie stirred 1t round and round and r-uni,
And he shifted At the flaming fro;h;
whenI ups with his heels and smo:hers his sqUsal
In the sem Of the boiling broth.
"And eat that sook in week O iefs,
AaE-->s eating bs
Tie last q bis chops, why, I sinaost drops,
Fer wessei IN sight l see:
''And ] never lari, and never smile,
And never lark nor play,
Bat sit and .erosk, and q single ioSe
haFe-Whlehis is 70 say;
Oh, / an eook and capt5i- bold.
And the mate Of the Nancy brig,
Anda bO'sun tight an2 a nidshipmlte,
And the crew Of the captaia's gigrH
-9Bab~ BaUsfs.