G'day,

Joe: That tune doesn't ring any bells with me. I'll dig out a tune (must have it somewhere ...) and post a MIDItext file.

Q: Fi. fa. Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase & Fable:

"A contraction of the Latin words fi'eri facias (cause it to be done). A judicial writ for one who has recovered damages in the Queen's courts, being a command to the sheriff to see the judgement of the court duly carried out."

On your ascription of the piece to: 'ed. A. D. "Banjo" Paterson', I might have grizzled about him including arcane bits of solicitor's slang that was old-fashioned by his day ... but the song you quote was printed in the Maitland Mercury and Hunter River General Advertiser on 2 September 1843 ... rather early for old Banjo. It had been performed by an amateur company for the Maitland Benevolent Society at the Northumberland Hotel, the Monday evening before.

I can't find anything on ca. sa. ... I might ask Bernard Bolan if his legal side can remember that one ... or (perhaps better) refer to my co-editor on the Mulga Wire that I should be editing, Colin Fong - once described by the ABC's legal roundsman as " ... that doyen of Sydney law librarians ..."!

Regards,

bob Bolton