Yes, Hugill has a whole chapter on Hilo songs. My favorite is Tom's (or John's) Gone to Hilo, a topsail halyard shanty that Hugill says was too slow to work by if it was sung well!

Tommy's gone, what shall I do?
Away, you Hilo
Oh, Tommy's gone and I'll go too
Tom's gone to Hilo

When I first moved to Hilo (Hawaii), I was thrilled to think I was living by the same bay that all those whalers and shantymen had anchored in. Then I found out that the "Hilo" of the shanties was actually "Ilo", on the coast of Peru. Oh, well...

Maurice, the fragment you quoted seems to have ties to at least three shanties: The Hog-Eye Man, John's Gone to Hilo (a different version), and The Dead Horse. That's not surprising, since there was much borrowing of verses and tunes among shanty singers. You might try following up on the other two and see if you find something that's close to what you heard. If you live near a coastal city, there's a good chance you can find a group of shanty singers who can help you out. If not, you're in a good place here at the Mudcat. Welcome.

Aloha,
Mark