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16 AMERICAN SEA SONGS.
And under the press of her pond'ring jib the boom bent like a hoop,
And the groaning water-ways told the strain that held her stout main tack.
But he only laughed as he glanced abaft at a white and silÂvery track.
The mid-tide meets in the channel waves that flow from shore
to shore, And the mist hung heavy upon the land from Featherstone
to Dunmore ; And that sterling light on Tusker rock, where the old bell
tolls the hour, And the beacon light that shone so bright was quenched on
Waterford tower.
The nightly robes our good ship wore were her three topsails
set, The spanker and her standing jib, the spanker being fast. I Now, lay aloft, my heroes bold, let not a moment pass !" And royals and topgallant sails were quickly on each mast.
What looms upon the starboard bow ? What hangs upon the breeze ?
'T is time our good ship hauled her wind abreast the old Sal-tees ;
For by her ponderous press of sail and by her consorts four
We saw our morning visitor was a British man-of-war.
Up spoke our noble captain then, as a shot ahead of us
passed, "Haul snug your flowing courses, lay your topsail to the
mast!" |
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