Four versions.

Thomas Ginovan, Bristol, for Carpenter ca1928:

                        MAINS'L HAUL

Once within the middle of December,
Hard up for booze and money spent;
Where it went to I do not remember,
So down to the shipping office went.
There was a great demand for sailors,
For New York, China, and Japan,
I shipped on board the Oxford,
And I went upon the spree with my advance.

          Oh, Paddy, Get Back,
          Take in the slack!
          Heave away the capstan, heave a pawl!
          Heave a pawl!
          Bout ship [sic] station, boys, be handy!
          Rise [sic] tacks sheets and mains'l haul.

Now next day I stowed my things aboard her,
My head piece was sore from too much booze.
So I sat upon me chest a quietly thinking,
To turn in my bunk and have a snooze.
But it seemed that I heard a voice a shouting,
I listened till I heard the voice again.
'Twas the chief mate upon the poop a shouting,
"All aft, boys, and answer to your name!"

Now when I arrived upon the quarterdeck,
Such a sight, boys, I never saw before.
There were men there who came from every nation,
Which made my poor heart feel sick and sore.
I wished meself back at the Jolly Sailors,
Drinking whiskey punch along with Irish Kate,
I thought what fools were we poor sailors,
We always find it out when it's too late.

In my chest I knew there was a bottle,
Because I saw the boarding master put it there;
So I thought it best to go and wet my throttle,
I [sic] see if I could drive away dull care.
So down on my knees as quick as thunder,
Groping like a pig all in a trough,
Oh shipmates you cannot guess my wonder,
When I found it was a bottle for my cough.