The Saucy Scylla

Come all you who delight in a frolicksome song,
Concerning the Scylla it will not keep you long ;
Concerning the Scylla, a ship of great fame,
She had the Bahama station, and bore a great name.

At four in the morning the work it came on,
For sand and for holy stones loud was the song ;
For fore and main topmen loud was the call,
For sand and for holy stones both great and small.

The next thing to divisions your hammocks you bring,
You must have them as snug and as round as a ring ;
With your lanyards and lacings, all made up so neat,
Or to carry them all day on our shoulders was our fate.

There is someone we know well, a British old Turk,
Would go creeping and snarling as the men were at work;
'Hurrah ! bear a hand, men, or you I'll report:'
Then he'd walk you on the carpet like a prisoner at court.

Two bells in the evening 'twas the drummer once more
Beat all hands to quarters with your bayonets and swords.
'Cast loose, clear for action,' our lieutenant cries,
With the rest of good drilling and much exercise.

After quarters was over, there was one thing more,
All hands to reef top sails, which grieved us full sore ;
'Men, man the rigging,' our lieutenant would cry,
Rise up, and lay out your reef points to tie.

In less than two minutes our top sails must be reef'd,
All sail set above them so snug and complete ;
For black-listing and drilling grieved us to the heart,
For our six-watered grog it just measured one quart.

As we lay in Providence so neat and so clean,
With scraping and painting we did take great pains ;
With scraping and scouring from morning 'till night,
It was swabbing, dum-scraping that was their delight.

We ranged them Bahamas by night and by day,
Every creek and every island like a lion for his prey;
In search of those slave ships it was our intent,
'Till at last came to Nassaw, where our relief was sent.

Very soon for Port Royal we then did make sail,
Favoured by Neptune and a sweet, pleasant gale ;
When we arrived there, what grieved us full sore,
We were ordered on the Spanish main for two months or more.

But now we are arrived in England once more,
How our spirits did rise, glad to see our own shore ;
Our friends and relations they came in our sight,
For fear of them entering, their look-out was bright.

But now my song is ended, I have no more to say,
But our saucy little Scylla she carried the sway ;
For in reefing and furling she was always the best,
Throughout the West Indies, for we had scarce any rest.