2 She had not sailed a league, a league but only three, Eck, etc. When she came up with a French gallee. As she sailed, etc. 3 Out spoke the little cabin-boy, out spoke he; ‘What will you give me if I sink that French gallee?’ As ye sail, etc. 4 Out spoke the captain, out spoke he; ‘We’ll gie ye an estate in the North Countrie.’ As we sail, etc. 5 ‘Then row me up ticht in a black bull’s skin, And throw me oer deck-buird, sink I or swim.’ As ye sail, etc. 6 So they’ve rowed him up ticht in a black bull’s skin, And have thrown him oer deck-buird, sink he or soom. As they sail, etc. 7 About, and about, and about went he, Until he cam up with the French gallee. As they sailed, etc. 8 O some were playing cards, and some were playing dice, When he took out an instrument, bored thirty holes at twice. As they sailed, etc. 9 Then some they ran with cloaks, and some they ran with caps, To try if they could stap the saut-water draps. As they sailed, etc. 10 About, and about, and about went he, Until he cam back to The Goulden Vanitie. As they sailed, etc. 11 ‘Now throw me oer a rope and pu me up on buird, And prove unto me as guid as your word.’ As ye sail, etc. 12 ‘We’ll no throw you oer a rope, nor pu you up on buird, Nor prove unto you as guid as our word.’ As we sail, etc. 13 Out spoke the little cabin-boy, out spoke he; Then hang me, I’ll sink ye as I sunk the French gallee. As ye sail, etc. 14 But they’ve thrown him oer a rope, and have pu’d him up on buird, And have proved unto him far better than their word. As they sailed, etc. C =a.= Stall-copy, Pitts, Seven Dials, Logan’s Pedlar’s Pack, p. 45. =b.= Long’s Dictionary of the Isle of Wight Dialect, p. 145. =c.= Christie, Traditional Ballad Airs, I, 238, compounded from the recitation of an old woman of Buckie, Banffshire, and a chap-book copy. =d.= Baring-Gould and Sheppard, Songs of the West, No 64, Part III, p. 24, Part IV, p. xxxi, taken down from James Olver, Launceston (an improved copy). =e.= Buchan’s MSS, II, 390, 414. =f.= Motherwell’s MS., p. 392, and Note-Book, p. 50, from the recitation of Agnes Lyle, 24th August, 1825. =g.= Macmath MS., p. 80, from the recitation of Miss Agnes Macmath, 1893; learned at Airds of Kells, Kirkcudbrightshire. 1 ‘I have a ship in the North Countrie, And she goes by the name of The Golden Vanity; I’m afraid she will be taken by some Turkish gallee, As she sails on the Low Lands Low.’ 2 Then up starts our little cabin-boy, Saying, Master, what will you give me if I do them destroy? ‘I will give you gold, I will give you store, You shall have my daughter when I return on shore, If ye sink them in the Low Lands Low.’