Thanks, folks, that's it! and the song I was hearing overlaid on it is from Gordon Bok's Schooners CD. The song there is called "Karl Edstrom and the Hesper" and is a transcription of this old sailor's letter set to the tune of the Swarthfell Hare. (and you can buy it from Folk Legacy, as Sandy will tell you shortly.
Blessings,
Barbara