I think sufficient references have been given to establish that "hilo" was a phrase that was initially particular to Black songs. Moreover, it was common in a subgenre (?) of songs that had the sentiment of "going away to leave you."

I think it is fair to say, then, that White sailors adopted these songs or phrases in their chanties.

The references to chanties in this vein begin with the title "Johnny's gone" in

1868 Dallas, E. S., ed. "On Shanties." Once a Week 31 (1 Aug. 1868).

Recall that "Jenny's Gone" was observed earlier among Black rowers and steamboatmen.

Then Adams mentioned "My Tommy's gone a high low" in memory of his late 1860s voyages, at least one of which was in a ship with an all Black crew.

Meanwhile, Kellogg's 1869 fictional account included a Black crew at halyards singing "Hilo, boys, a hilo."

This is supported by a text in reference to experiences acquired on a barque from Cuba to London in 1858:

1896        Bloomfield, J.H. _A Cuban Expedition._ London: Downey and Co.

The " shantie" sung this morning on getting under weigh and setting the topsails, we often heard on the passage to England, and is a good specimen of sailors' " shanties;" the men have breathing time to collect their strength and prepare themselves for the pull, while the " shantie man" is giving out the verse. At every repetition of the word "Hilo" in the chorus the men all pull together with a jerk, hoisting the heavy yard and sail several inches at every pull. " Give us ' Hilo,' Chips," the men said to the carpenter, and he began. The preliminary "Oh" long drawn out at the beginning of each verse was to gain time to improvise the verse :

Oh-o, up aloft this yard must go,
   Chorus by all hands : Hilo, boys, hilo !
I heard our bully mate say so.
   Hilo, boys, hilo !
Oh-o, hilo, bullies, and away we go,
    Hilo, boys, hilo !
Hilo, boys, let her roll, o-he-yho.
   Hilo, boys, hilo !
Oh-o, I knocked at the yellow girl's door last night,
   Hilo, boys, hilo!
She opened the door and let me in.
   Hilo, boys, hilo !
Oh-o, I opened the door with a silver key,
   Hilo, boys, hilo!
The yellow girl a-livo-lick-alimbo-lee.
   Hilo, boys, hilo !
Oh-o, watchman, watchman, don't take me !
   Hilo, boys, hilo !
For I have a wife and a large familee.
   Hilo, boys, hilo!
Oh-o, two behind, and one before,
   Hilo, boys, hilo I
And they marched me off to the watchhouse door.
   Hilo, boys, hilo!
Oh-o, where's the man that bewitched the tureen ?
   Hilo, boys, hilo!
Look in the galley and there you'll see him.
   Hilo, boys, hilo!
Oh-o, the mate's on foc'sle, and the skipper's on the poop.
   Hilo, boys, hilo!
And the cook's in the galley, playing with the soup.
Hilo, boys, hilo !
Oh-o, the geese like the gander and the ducks like the drake,
   Hilo, boys, hilo !
And sweet Judy Callaghan, I'd die for your sake.
    Hilo, boys, hilo !

Next, Alden's 1882 article on chanties had "And sing hilo, me Randso, way," along with the implication that there were several other chanties that used "hilo" in various ways.

English collector Smith, in dialogue with Alden, wrote the following:

1888[June 1887]        Smith, Laura Alexandrine. _The Music of the Waters._ London: Kegan, Paul, Trench & Co.

I have a song amongst my collection entitled "Tommy's gone to 'Hilo,'" which again upsets the theory that "hilo" was an active verb; at least, in this instance, it rises to the dignity of a proper noun :—

Here is her version:


The next song, "Tommy's gone to Hilo," is one of the mournful style of chanties, with a very long dragging chorus. [w/ score]

Solo.--Tommy's gone, what shall I do?
Chorus.—Hurrah, Hilo.
Solo.—Tommy's gone, what shall I do?
Chorus.—Tom's gone to Hilo.
Solo.—To Liverpool, that noted school,
To Liverpool, that noted school,
Tommy's gone to Quebec town,
Tommy's gone to Quebec town,
There's pretty Sall and Jenny Brown, ,
There's pretty Sall and Jenny Brown,
A-dancing on that stony ground,
A-dancing on that stony ground,
Tommy's gone to Baltimore,
A-rolling on the sandy floor,
Tommy's gone to Mobille Bay,
To roll down cotton all the day,
He's gone away to Dixie's Land,
Where there's roses red and violets blue,
Up aloft that yard must go,
I thought I heard the skipper say,
That he would put her through to-day,
Shake her up, and let her go,
Stretch her leech and shew her clew,
One pull more, and that will do,
Chorus.—Hurrah, Hilo.
Solo.—One pull more, and that will do,
Chorus.—Tom's gone to Hilo.
BELAY!

Like most chanties, the lines of "Tommy's gone to Hilo" are repeated every time, the chorus being the same for the first repetition, and changing a little at the second. The pull is made on the word "Hilo."


About the same time as Smith's collection came Davis and Tozer's.