The Terrible Privateer

You sailors all of courage bold,
Now a true story I will unfold ;
How we behaved you soon shall hear,
On board the Terrible privateer.

We touch'd at Plymouth, it was for men,
Unto the seas we went again,
And being blest with a pleasant gale,
Hop'd with our enemies to prevail.

We had not long been on the sea,
Before a Frenchman we did see ;
He was well rigg'd, and come from France,
Her name was call'd the bold Valance.

We crowded all the sail we could,
Our thundering cannons fire we would ;
Many a gallant sailor fell,
On board the ship call'd the Terrible.

Powder and ball did fly so fast,
Four hours and a half this fight did last,
But a sad misfortune us befell,
On board the ship call'd the Terrible.

We boldly gave them gun for gun,
Till the blood out of our scuppers run,
Our captain and our [mate] being slain,
We could no longer the fight maintain.

To board us then they did begin,
And stript us naked to the skin;
They put us all in the hole together,
Where twenty-seven poor souls were smother'd.

They sail'd with us to the first sea port,
And bound us in prison strong;
Where full nine months we did lay,
Before the Carteel did fetch us away.

Here's a health unto our British fleet,
Grant they with these privateers may meet,
And [have] better luck than the Terrible,
And sink those Mounsiers all to hell.