Communicated by Mr W. Chappell, as noted down by him from the singing of men dressed as sailors, on Tower Hill. Subsequently printed, with a few variations, in Old English Ditties, Oxenford and Macfarren, I, 206. 1 One Friday morn as we’d set sail, And our ship not far from land, We there did espy a fair mermaid, With a comb and a glass in her hand, her hand, her hand, With a comb and a glass in her hand. While the raging seas did roar, And the stormy winds did blow, And we jolly sailor-boys were up, up aloft, And the landsmen were lying down below, And the landlubbers all down below, below, below, And the landlubbers all down below. 2 Then up spoke the captain of our gallant ship, Who at once did our peril see; I have married a wife in fair London town, And tonight she a widow will be.’ 3 And then up spoke the litel cabin-boy, And a fair-haired boy was he; ‘I’ve a father and mother in fair Portsmouth town, And this night she will weep for me.’ 4 Now three times round goes our gallant ship, And three times round went she; For the want of a life-boat they all were drownd, As she went to the bottom of the sea. D =a.= Long, A Dictionary of the Isle of Wight Dialect, London, 1886, p. 142. =b.= H. Such, 177 Union St., Boro’. 1 ’Twas a Friday morning when we set sail, And our ship was not far from land, When there we spied a fair pretty maid, With a comb and a glass in her hand. Oh, the raging seas they did roar, And the stormy winds they did blow, While we poor sailor-boys were all up aloft, And the land-lubbers lying down below, below, below, And the land-lubbers lying down below. 2 Then up spoke the captain of our gallant ship, And a mariner good was he; ‘I have married a wife in fair London town, And this night a widow she will be.’ 3 Then up spoke the cabin-boy of our gallant ship, And a brave little boy was he; ‘I’ve a father and a mother in old Portsmouth town, And this night they will both weep for me.’ 4 Then up spoke a seaman of our gallant ship, And a well-spoken man was he; ‘For want of a long-boat we shall all be drowned, And shall sink to the bottom of the sea.’ 5 Then three times round went that gallant ship, And down like a stone sank she; The moon shone bright, and the stars gave their light, But they were all at the bottom of the sea. E =a.= Motherwell’s MS., p. 145. =b.= Motherwell’s Minstrelsy, Appendix, p. xxiii, No XXX, the first stanza.