This song was written in 1900 a year after the Great Bahamas Hurricane of 1899 and during the peak of the sponging era, hence the need for sloops to travel around Nassau . “The John B . Sails” is a folk song that first appeared internationally in a 1917 American novel, Pieces of Eight, written by Richard Le Gallienne.

I still don't get the point of Bay Street. You keep using Bay Street as if Americans owned Bay Street lol.

It is well known to anyone with knowledge that the sponging industry and fishing trade was carried on regularly in Nassau Harbour and it was an industry dominated by Bahamians.

The earliest reference I have seen of the song peas and rice is this article https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045774/1921-08-22/ed-1/seq-1/#

It says clearly that black women are singing the song while rolling the barrels to the docks. Do you have an earlier reference Mr Discographer? If so show it to me.

Even in the song itself that was released it say you can hear those natives singing merrily clearly the version released in 1932 shows that it was a native song.

You keep making silly claims when you know absolutely nothing.