| THE “LOCH ACHRAY” was a clipper tall | |
| With seven-and-twenty hands in all. | |
| Twenty to hand and reef and haul, | |
| A skipper to sail and mates to brawl | |
| “Tally on the tackle-fall, | 5 |
| Heave now’n’ start her, heave’n’ pawl!” | |
| Hear the yarn of a sailor, | |
| An old yarn learned at sea. | |
|
| Her crew were shipped and they said “Farewell, | |
| So-long, my Tottie, my lovely gell; | 10 |
| We sail to-day if we fetch to hell, | |
| It’s time we tackled the wheel a spell.” | |
| Hear the yarn of a sailor, | |
| An old yarn learned at sea. | |
|
| The dockside loafers talked on the quay | 15 |
| The day that she towed down to sea: | |
| “Lord, what a handsome ship she be! | |
| Cheer her, sonny boys, three times three!” | |
| And the dockside loafers gave her a shout | |
| As the red-funnelled tug-boat towed her out; | 20 |
| They gave her a cheer as the custom is, | |
| And the crew yelled “Take our loves to Liz— | |
| Three cheers, bullies, for old Pier Head | |
| ’N’ the bloody stay-at-homes!” they said. | |
| Hear the yarn of a sailor, | 25 |
| An old yarn learned at sea. | |
|
| In the gray of the coming on of night | |
| She dropped the tug at the Tuskar Light, | |
| ’N’ the topsails went to the topmast head | |
| To a chorus that fairly awoke the dead. | 30 |
| She trimmed her yards and slanted South | |
| With her royals set and a bone in her mouth. | |
| Hear the yarn of a sailor, | |
| An old yarn learned at sea. | |
|
| She crossed the Line and all went well, | 35 |
| They ate, they slept, and they struck the bell | |
| And I give you a gospel truth when I state | |
| The crowd didn’t find any fault with the Mate, | |
| But one night off the River Plate. | |
| Hear the yarn of a sailor, | 40 |
| An old yarn learned at sea. | |
|
| It freshened up till it blew like thunder | |
| And burrowed her deep, lee-scuppers under. | |
| The old man said, “I mean to hang on | |
| Till her canvas busts or her sticks are gone”— | 45 |
| Which the blushing looney did, till at last | |
| Overboard went her mizzen-mast. | |
| Hear the yarn of a sailor, | |
| An old yarn learned at sea. | |
|
| Then a fierce squall struck the “Loch Achray,” | 50 |
| And bowed her down to her water-way; | |
| Her main-shrouds gave and her forestay, | |
| And a green sea carried her wheel away; | |
| Ere the watch below had time to dress | |
| She was cluttered up in a blushing mess. | 55 |
| Hear the yarn of a sailor, | |
| An old yarn learned at sea. | |
|
| She couldn’t lay-to nor yet pay-off, | |
| And she got swept clean in the bloody trough, | |
| Her masts were gone, and afore you knowed | 60 |
| She filled by the head and down she goed. | |
| Her crew made seven-and-twenty dishes | |
| For the big jack-sharks and the little fishes, | |
| And over their bones the water swishes. | |
| Hear the yarn of a sailor, | 65 |
| An old yarn learned at sea. | |
|
| The wives and girls they watch in the rain | |
| For a ship as won’t come home again. | |
| “I reckon it’s them head-winds,” they say, | |
| “She’ll be home to-morrow, if not to-day. | 70 |
| I’ll just nip home ’n’ I’ll air the sheets | |
| ’N’ buy the fixin’s ’n’ cook the meats | |
| As my man likes ’n’ as my man eats.” | |
|
| So home they goes by the windy streets, | |
| Thinking their men are homeward bound | 75 |
| With anchors hungry for English ground, | |
| And the bloody fun of it is, they’re drowned! | |
| Hear the yarn of a sailor, | |
| An old yarn learned at sea. |
