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. _CAPTAIN DEATH._ The muse and the hero together are fir’d, The same noble views has their bosom inspir’d; As freedom they love, and for glory contend, The muse o’er the hero still mourns as a friend; So here let the muse her poor tribute bequeath, To one British hero--’tis brave Captain Death. The ship was the _Terrible_--dreadful to see! His crew was as brave and as valiant as he; Two hundred or more was their full complement, And sure braver fellows to sea never went. Each man was determined to spend his last breath In fighting for Britain and brave Captain Death. A prize they had taken diminish’d their force. And soon the brave ship was lost in her course; The French privateer and the _Terrible_ met, The battle began all with horror beset: No heart was dismay’d, each bold as Macbeth, The sailors rejoiced, so did brave Captain Death. Fire, thunder, balls, bullets, were soon heard and felt, A sight that the heart of Bellona would melt; The shrouds [were] all torn and the decks fill’d with blood, And scores of dead bodies were thrown in the flood; The flood, from the time of old Noah and Seth, Ne’er saw such a man as our brave Captain Death. At last the dread bullet came wing’d with his fate, Our brave captain dropt, and soon after his mate; Each officer fell, and a carnage was seen, That soon dy’d the waves to a crimson from green; Then Neptune rose up, and he took off his wreath, And gave it a triton to crown Captain Death.