Thanks to Barry Finn for the informative comments on the East India Man sea shanty.

I checked the tape for more information. It said a john Adams unearthed it who was a fellow member of a group called the druids, from a BBC schools publication "singing together". Maybe a reliable source, but still no clue to its genuine antiquity though.

The line with "yard all" is in fact "hoisting up a yard OR shaking out a reef". It still leaves the question what does "rousing on" mean. Maybe it's a corruption of raising up.

Here's is the adjusted version:

[draft - see corrections below]
THE EAST INDIA MAN

It's many's the time I've sung this song when the wind's been blowing of a gale,
Hoisting up a yard or, shaking out a reef or rousing on the sheets of a sail.
I've shipped on board of a man-o-war, in the merchant service too,
And I've fought for me king and me country while I've sailed on the ocean blue.

Illy ally illy ally oh, cheerily boys cheerily
Bend your backs and give a pull
Cheerily I say I say
With a long pull and a strong pull
We'll haul away together boys
Delay every inch of that, delay boys, delay.

On a bright May day, we sailed away, on a big East India ship,
Though it's many, many years ago me boys, I'll not forget that trip.
We said goodbye to Portsmouth Docks, to Susan, Kate and Jane,
But we hadn'a been a sailing an hour or more when we joined in the old refrain...

Illy ally illy ally oh...

And now I'm off from sea again going to put down me roots onshore,
Have a bit of a spell with me longhaired gal she's the one I do adore.
But there's no doubt should a war break out and seamen be required again, well I'll join with me crew me dutiful to do and I'll join in the old refrain...

Illy ally illy ally oh...