Gibb Sahib wrote: Rambling Rover, however, doesn't match the scansion. One can sing Wellerman, Cannibal Islands, Coast of NZ, Coast of Australia (and Paddy on the Railway, and *kind of* Golden Vanitee) all to the same tune, but not Rambling Rover. So, I should add that detail.

Just as a footnote: If you look at "Golden Vanity," there versions with four-line, five-line, and six-line verses, and the scansion changes. You can make just about any tune fit some version. :-) But I agree, the AAAB rhyme pattern is pretty characteristic (except in the versions with an internal chorus) -- the five-line and six-line versions typically have repeats or chorus lines.

And I agree: It's good to have seen the newspaper clipping about "Beautiful Coast of New Zealand." Although I didn't much doubt that one; Bailey/Roth compiled a lot of their stuff from newspapers. (In fact, one of them -- I'd have to look up which one -- worked entirely from newspapers and similar records.) I have strong doubts about the traditional status of most of the stuff in Bailey/Roth, but not the newspaper status. :-) It's when someone else claims a newspaper source that I get a little nervous.