Following up on Barstow's "ditch-hogs": Whall in "Sea Songs & Shanties" (1910 1st Ed) says that the song "dates from 1849-50" during the California goldrush. He claims barges used on the canals for cargo were called "hog-eyes" and implies the song was sung by negroes manning them. Mind you, he also says "The derivation of the name (of the barges) is unknown to me."

In a footnote, he mentions that most of the verses were unprintable.

Regards