The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1901-10-03
SONGS OF THE SEA.

Twas on the shores that round the coast
From Deal to Ramsgate span,
That l 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 singular minor key:
''Oh, am cook and captain bold,
And the mate of the Nancy brig,
And bo'sun tight and midshipmite,
And the crew of the captains gig"
And he shook his fists and he tore his hair,
Till | really felt afraid;
For couldn't help think the man had been
drinking,
And SO | simply said;
sob, elderly man, it's little know
OF the duties of men of the sea,
And I'll eat my hand if | understand
How you can possibly be
cat once a cook, and a captain bold,
And the mate of the Nancy brig,
And a bo' sun tight, and a midshipmite,
And the crew OF the captains gig.
Then he gave hitch to his trousers which
Is a trick all seaman larn,
And having got rid of a humping quid,
He spun this painful yarn
"Twas in the good ship Nancy Bell
Inat we sailed to the lnQlan sea,
And there on reef we come to grief,
Which has often occurred to me-
''And pretty nigh all O. the crew was drown
ed
(There was seventy-Seven O. SOul,)
And only ten of the '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 the bo'sun tight and mdshipmite,
And the crew of the captains gig.
'For month we'd neither whites nor drink,
Till a-hungry we did feel,
SO we drawed lot, and accordin shot
The captain for our meal.
'sThe next lot fell to the 'Nancy's' mate,
And delicate dish he made;
Then our appetite with the midshipmte
We seven survivors stayed.
"a nd then 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.
'sThen 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 SIGH.
'For l loved that cook as brother, did,
And the cook he worshipped me;
But we'd both be bowed if we'd either be
slowed
In the other chaps hold, you see.
cpl be eat if you dimes off me-, says Tom,
Yes, that, says |, you'll be,
'I'm boiled if l die, my friend quoth I,
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 l can-and will-cook you!.'
$50 he boils the water, and takes the salt
And the pepper in portions true,
(Which he never forgot and some chopped
shalot,
And some sage and parsley too.
".Come here says he, with a proper pride,
Which his smiling features tell,
Twill soothing be if | let you see
How extremely nice you'll smell.
"And he stirred it round and round and
round,
And he shifted at the 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 | see.
'And l never larf and | never smile,
And | never lark nor play,
But'I sit and croak, and single joke
| have which is to say:
"Oh, am a cook and captain bold,
And the mate of the Nancy brig,
And bo'sun tight, and a midshipmite,
And the crew of the captains gig"
THE SEA.
Who has heard the cod-line Sinpinp o'ar tho