John-

It's certainly a fine song but not one to be followed by a set of ship wreck songs, train crashes, and other tragic ballads unless you want to provoke people to suicide.

I tend to think of it as the ultimate despair song, but with a lovely chorus.

I do appreciate your notes to the song that indicate that the convicts were pardoned after they rescued a survey team. However, I'm also glad you didn't add a verse to provide the song a conventional happy ending.

Charley Noble, who also did work out some chords with the autoharp.