"Farewell and adieu to you, Spanish ladies,
Farewell and adieu to you, ladies of Spain;
For we have received orders
For to sail to old England,
But we hope in a short time to see you again."
"Stop a moment, lads. I must screw him up a little more."
Dick regulated his first string, and then continued.
"We'll rant and we'll roar, like true British sailors,
We'll rant and we'll roar across the salt seas;
Until we strike soundings
In the Channel of old England.
From Ushant to Scilly 'tis thirty-five leagues.
"Then we hove our ship to, with the wind at sou'west, my boys,
Then we hove our ship to, for to strike soundings clear;
Then we filled the main topsail
And bore right away, my boys,
And straight up the Channel of old England did steer.
"So the first land we made, it is called the Deadman,
Next Ram Head, off Plymouth, Start, Portland, and the Wight;
We sail-ed by Beachy,
By Fairly and Dungeness,
And then bore away for the South Forehand light.
"Now the signal it was made for the grand fleet to anchor,
All in the Downs that night for to meet;
Then stand by your stoppers,
See clear your shank painters,
Hawl all your clew garnets, stick out tacks and sheets."
Here Dick was interrupted by another fiddle, which went "tum, tum--
scrape--tum, tum."
"There's Opposition Bill, Dick," said my father; "I thought you would
bring him out."
"All's right," replied Dick; "hope he aren't affronted; but he looks
very black this morning."
"Now let every man take off his full bumper,
Let every man take off his full bowl;
For we will be jolly
And drown melancholy,
With a health to each jovial and true-hearted soul."
"Now, then, Billy, fire away."
"You tink I 'bey your order, you Dick? No sar, suppose I fire away, I
go off. I not go off, I stay here."
"Well, but if you play, you'll get in trouble, Billy."
"How I get in trouble?"
"Why you'll get in a scrape, won't you?"
"He! you just got out of one, anyhow."
Dick Harness then said to those who sat by him, "I'll make him sing the
Negro General."
"Well, if you will howl, Mr Billy," cried out Harness, "at all events
don't give us that abominable Nigger General; it always gives me the
toothache."
"Now I tink dat very fine song; so you may have whole jaw-ache for all I
care. I sing dat, Mr Dick; you jealous of dat song, I know."
Opposition Billy flourished a little, and then commenced--
"Listen, my boys, and I will tell you--
Tell you a leetle 'bout Gin'ral Gabriel.
Oh-e-oh! Oh-e-oh!
"Dey advertise de Nigger Gin'ral,
A dousand pounds dey advertise him.
Oh, my boys, I'm most done!
"And who betrayed de Nigger Gin'ral?
A leetle boy betrayed de Gin'ral.
Oh-e-oh! Oh-e-oh!
"A leetle boy by de name of Daniel,
Betrayed him down at Norfolk Landing.
Oh, my boys, I'm most done!
"He says, how do, my uncle Gabriel?
But dis is not your uncle Gabriel.
Oh-e-oh! Oh-e-oh!
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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