1902        Lubbock, A. Basil. _Round the Horn Before the Mast._ London: John Murray.

First signed on as a sailor in July 1899 at San Francisco, in a 4 masted barque ROYALSHIRE of Glasgow, to go East around the Horn.

First mention of a chanty happens before he even ships out, July 1899, in Frisco at the Institute to British Seamen. He attends a weekly concert series there that involves sailor performers. BLOW BOYS BLOW is being used as entertainment.

//
It was a very amusing concert, and ended with a hauling chanty, that good old stager "Blow, Boys, Blow," all hands tailing on to the end of the rope, and running three fat apprentices up by means of a hook in the ceiling and a block and tackle.
//

He finally leaves Frisco in August:

//
The longbars were put into the capstan, and we were soon tramping drearily round in the raw, misty, morning air. As no one felt equal to a chanty, we hove her short to occasional "Heave, and she comes!" "Heave, and break her out!" "Heave, and she must!" "Heave, and bust her!"…
//

GOODBYE FARE YOU WELL is quoted:

//
Good-bye, Frisco, we shall ever have pleasant memories of you; but, as the good old chanty goes—

"Our anchor we'll weigh, and our sails we'll set,
Good-bye, fare-ye-well!
Good-bye, fare-ye-well! 

The friends we are leaving, we leave with regret, 

Hurrah! my boys, we're homeward bound!"
//

October, in the South Atlantic. The following passage satisfies some curiosity as to what role chanteys had at this late date.

//
Scar is an authority on chanties, and he says that the real old chanties are very seldom heard now; all the same, we have had a good number of fine chanties sung on board.
//

He seems to be talking of "blue notes" here:

//
The thing to hear is a nigger crew chantying. They sing most beautifully, with splendid minor and half notes; they cannot do the least little bit of work without chantying.
//

Hmm, BOWLINE for setting sail?

//
A celebrated chanty, which I am very fond of, is "Haul on the Bowlin'," which is a setting sail chanty, and runs thus :—

Solo. "Haul on the bowlin', the fore and maintop bowlin',"
Chorus. "Haul on the bowlin', the bowlin' haul!"
Solo. "Haul on the bowlin', the packet is arolling,"
Chorus. "Haul on the bowlin', the bowlin' haul!"
Solo. "Haul on the bowlin', the skipper he's agrowling,"
Chorus. "Haul on the bowlin', the bowlin' haul!"
Solo. "Haul on the bowlin', to London we are going,"
Chorus. "Haul on the bowlin', the bowlin' haul!"
Solo. "Haul on the bowlin', the good ship is abowling,"
Chorus. "Haul on the bowlin', the bowlin' haul!"
Solo. "Haul on the bowlin', the main-topgallant bowlin',"
Chorus. "Haul on the bowlin', the bowlin' haul!"
//

MR. STORMALONG, also not with much authority? Later, this is Hugill material.

//
A real good old-time chanty is "Storm along, Stormie!" which runs thus :—
Solo. "Stormie's gone, the good all man,"
    Chorus. "To my aye, Storm along!"

Solo. "Oh, Stormie's gone, that good old man,"
Chorus. "Aye! aye! aye! Mister Storm along!"
Solo. "They dug his grave with a silver spade,"
    Chorus. "To my aye, Storm along!" 

Solo. His shroud of finest silk was made,"
Chorus. "Aye! aye I aye! Mister Storm along!"
Solo. "They lowered him with a golden chain,"
    Chorus. "To my aye, Storm along!" 

Solo. "Their eyes all dim with more than rain,"
Chorus. "Aye! aye! aye! Mister Storm along!"
Solo. "He was a sailor, bold and true,"
    Chorus. "To my aye, Storm along!" 

Solo. "A good old skipper to his crew,"
Chorus. "Aye! aye! aye! Mister Storm along!"
Solo. "He lies low in an earthen bed,"
    Chorus. "To my aye, Storm along!"

Solo. "Our hearts are sore, our eyes are red,"
Chorus. "To my aye, Storm along!"
Solo. "He's moored at last, and furled his sail,"
    Chorus. "To my aye, Storm along!"

Solo. "No danger now from wreck or gale,"
Chorus. "Aye! aye! aye! Mister Storm along!"
Solo. "Old Storm has heard an angel call,"
    Chorus. "To my aye, Storm along!" 

Solo. "So sing his dirge now, one and all,"
Chorus. "Aye! aye! aye! Mister Storm along!"
This is a pumping chanty.
//

BLACKBALL LINE is "celebrated." But did Lubbock use it much? A capstan chanty? "14 verses in the original"? huh?

//
One of the most celebrated chanties is "The Black Ball Line," the first verse of which runs thus :—

Solo. "In the Black Ball Line I served my time," 
   
Chorus. "Hurrah for the Black Ball Line!"
Solo. "In the Black Ball Line I served my time," 
   
Chorus. "Hurrah for the Black Ball Line!"
This is a long capstan chanty, and has fourteen verses in the original words; of course you hardly ever hear two men sing the same words in the solo of a chanty, though the choruses are always the same.
//

Concludes with a "such as" section: BLOW BOYS BLOW, LONG TIME AGO, DEAD HORSE, SANTIANA, JOHN BROWN'S BODY (good original version), BONEY, BLOW THE MAN DOWN, REUBEN RANZO, RIO GRANDE, WHISKEY JOHNNY and GALS OF DUBLIN TOWN – first time mention of this last one.

//
Chanties such as "Blow, my bully boys, blow!" "A long time ago!" "A poor old man," "The plains of Mexico," "John Brown's whisky bottle's empty on the shelf," "Boney was a warrior," "Blow the man down," "Reuben Ranzo," "Away for Rio!" "Whisky for my Johnnie," we were constantly singing.
"The Girls of Dublin Town" is also a very popular chanty.
//

RIO GRANDE at a capstan:
//
We took the halliards to the small capstan forward, and mastheaded the yard to the chanty of "Away for Rio!" Jamieson singing the solo. It was pretty bad weather for chantying, but there is nothing like a chanty to put new life into a man, and we roared out the chorus at the top of our pipes….
Of all the chanties, I think "Away for Rio!" is one of the finest, and I cannot refrain from giving you the words.

CHANTY.—"AWAY FOR RIO!"
Solo. "Oh, the anchor is weigh'd, and the sails they are set,"
Chorus. "Away, Rio!"
Solo. "The maids that we're leaving we'll never forget,"
Chorus. "For we're bound for Rio Grande, 
      
And away, Rio! aye, Rio! 
         
Sing fare-ye-well, my bonny young girl, 
      
We're bound for Rio Grande!"
Solo. "So man the good capstan, and run it around,"
Chorus. "Away, Rio!"
Solo. "We'll heave up the anchor to this jolly sound,"
Chorus. "For we're bound for Rio Grande, 
      
And away, Rio!" etc.
Solo. "We've a jolly good ship, and a jolly good crew,"
Chorus. "Away, Rio!"
Solo. "A jolly good mate, and a good skipper too,"
Chorus. "For we're bound for Rio Grande, 
      
And away, Rio!" etc.
Solo. "We'll sing as we heave to the maidens we leave,"
Chorus. "Away, Rio 1"
Solo. "You know at this parting how sadly we grieve,"
Chorus. "For we're bound to Rio Grande, 
      
And away, Rio!" etc.
Solo. "Sing good-bye to Sally and good-bye to Sue,"
Chorus. "Away, Rio 1"
Solo. "And you who are listening, good-bye to you,"
Chorus. "For we're bound for Rio Grande, 
      
And away, Rio!" etc.
Solo. "Come heave up the anchor, let's get it aweigh,"
Chorus. "Away, Rio!"
Solo. "It's got a firm grip, so heave steady, I say,"
Chorus. "For we're bound for Rio Grande, 
      
And away, Rio!" etc.
Solo. "Heave with a will, and heave long and strong,"
Chorus. "Away, Rio!"
Solo. "Sing a good chorus, for 'tis a good song,'
Chorus. "For we're bound for Rio Grande, 
      
And away, Rio!" etc.
Solo. "Heave only one pawl, then 'vast heaving, belay!"
Chorus. "Away, Rio!"
Solo. "Heave steady, because we say farewell to-day,"
Chorus. "For we're bound for Rio Grande, 
      
And away, Rio!" etc.
Solo. "The chain's up and down, now the bosun did say,"
Chorus. "Away, Rio!"
Solo. "Heave up to the hawse-pipe, the anchor's aweigh!"
Chorus. "For we're bound for Rio Grande, 
      
And away, Rio! aye, Rio! 
         
Sing fare-ye-well, my bonny young girl, 
      
We're bound for Rio Grande!"

Of course the words are not exactly appropriate in the present occasion, but the chorus is one of the best I have ever heard, with its wild, queer wail.
//

Off the Horn…

SHENANDOAH (for capstan to hoist yards):
//
Although we were all pretty well worn out, we managed to ring out a rare good chorus, chantying up the topsails.
Jamieson sang the solo of "The Wide Missouri," a very celebrated chanty.

CHANTY.—"THE WIDE MISSOURI."
Solo. "Oh, Shenadoah, I love your daughter," 
      
Chorus. "Away, my rolling river!"
Solo. "Oh, Shenadoah, I long to hear you."
Chorus. "Ah! ah! We're bound away 
         
'Cross the wide Missouri I"
Solo. "The ship sails free, a gale is blowing," 
      
Chorus. "Away, my rolling river I"
Solo. "The braces taut, the sheets a-flowing,"
Chorus. "Ah! ah! We're bound away 
         
'Cross the wide Missouri!"
Solo. "Oh, Shenadoah, I'll ne'er forget you," 
      
Chorus. "Away, my rolling river!"
Solo. "Till the day I die, I'll love you ever,"
Chorus. "Ah! ah! We're bound away 
         
'Cross the wide Missouri."
//

SACRAMENTO continues it…
//
It's wonderful how a chanty will get a topsail mastheaded. We sent the mizen upper-topsail up to the tune of

"ON THE BANKS OF THE SACRAMENTO."
Solo. "Sing and heave, and heave and sing,"
    Chorus. "Hoodah, to my hoodah;" 

Solo. "Heave, and make the handspikes spring," 
   
Chorus. "Hoodah, hoodah day.
And it's blow ye winds, heigh-ho,
For Cal—i—for—ni—o;
For there's plenty of gold, so I've been told,
On the banks of the Sacramento!"

It is rather difficult for a landsman to understand the sense of the words in some of the chanties, and no doubt in most cases they need some explanation. Some of them refer to people and events long since gone and forgotten.
//

The popular authored-song HOME DEARIE HOME is called a chanty here.
//
There is one chanty, however, which is, perhaps, as well-known ashore as afloat, and few songs have more beautiful words than "Hame, dearie, Hame," and I cannot resist from giving the first verse.

Solo. "I stand on deck, my dearie, and in my fancy see,
The faces of the loved ones that smile across the sea; 

Yes, the faces of the loved ones, but 'midst them all so clear, 

I see the one I love the best, your bonnie face, my dear."
Chorus. "And its hame, dearie, hame! oh, it's hame I want to be,
My topsails are hoisted, and I must out to sea;
For the oak, and the ash, and the bonnie birchen tree,
They're all agrowin' green in the North Countree."
This is, of course, a capstan chanty, and it takes some beating when sung by a good chantying watch.
//

Here's an addition to the repertoire: OFF TO THE SOUTHARD
//
As we were chantying up the main upper-topsail to the tune of "As off to the Southard we go," a big sea fell aboard and washed Higgins and Bower into the lee scuppers.
Solo. "Sing, my lads, cheerily, heave, my lads, cheerily,"
Chorus. "Heave away, cheerily, oh, oh!"
Solo. "For the gold that we prize, and sunnier skies,"
Chorus. "Away to the south'ard we go." 

Solo. "We want sailors bold, who can work for their gold,"
Chorus. "Heave away cheerily, oh, oh!" 

Solo. "And stand a good wetting without catching cold,"
Chorus. "As off to the south'ard we go—o, 
      
As off to the"

Crash! bang! fizz ! — " Hang on all!"— "Damn !" — " South'ard we go !" — " Curse you, get your boot out of—" (splutter) — " Blasted fool! "—(puff, splutter)—" O Lord!"—"Lost my only sou'wester, curse it!"—"Where's Bower?"— (coughing, panting, blowing, as the water begins to roll off)—

"In the lee scuppers with old Higgins, clasped in each other's arms."
"Ha! ha! ha!"
"Hallo, Rooning, bleeding?"
"Some one kicked me in the face."
"Now then, tune her up, boys, give her hell!"

"Give us a chanty some one."
//

In the Western Ocean…
REUBEN RANZO:
//
With all hands on the halliards, we hoisted the yard to the chanty of " Reuben Ranzo."

"REUBEN RANZO."
Solo. "Hurrah! for Reuben Ranzo," 
   
Chorus. "Ranzo, boys, Ranzo!"
Solo. "Hurrah! for Reuben Ranzo," 
   
Chorus. "Ranzo, boys, Ranzo!"
Solo. "Ranzo was no sailor,"
Chorus. "Ranzo, boys, Ranzo!"
Solo. "Ranzo was a tailor,"
Chorus. "Ranzo, boys, Ranzo!"
Solo. "Ranzo joined the Beauty" 
   
Chorus. "Ranzo, boys, Ranzo!"
Solo. "And did not know his duty," 
   
Chorus. "Ranzo, boys, Ranzo!"

It is too long to give in full, so I will leave out the chorus, which comes in like thunder between each line, the haul coming each time on the "Ranzo."

"His skipper was a dandy, 
 And was too fond of brandy.
"He called Ranzo a lubber, 
 And made him eat whale blubber.
"The Beauty was a whaler, 
 Ranzo was no sailor.
"They set him holy-stoning, 
 And cared not for his groaning.
"They gave him 'lashes twenty,' 
 Nineteen more than plenty.
"Reuben Ranzo fainted, 
 His back with oil was painted.
"They gave him cake and whisky, 
 Which made him rather frisky.
"They made him the best sailor, 
 Sailing on that whaler.
"They put him navigating, 
 And gave him extra rating.
"Ranzo now is skipper 
 Of a China clipper.
"Ranzo was a tailor, 
 Now he is a sailor."

So runs the queer story of Reuben Ranzo, a rare old hauling chanty.
//

"Rare" in what sense?

Arrival in Liverpool…

//
"Man the capstan!"
Round we tramped, making the Mersey ring with our chanties.
We started the ball with "Sally Brown."

    CHANTY.—" SALLY BROWN." 

Solo. "I love a maid across the water,"
    Chorus. "Aye, aye, roll and go!" 

Solo. "She is Sal herself, yet Sally's daughter,"
Chorus. "Spend my money on Sally Brown."
Solo. "Seven long years I courted Sally,"
    Chorus. "Aye, aye, roll and go!"

Solo. "She called me ' boy, and Dilly Dally,'"
Chorus. "Spend my money on Sally Brown."
Solo. "Seven long years and she wouldn't marry,'
    Chorus. "Aye, aye, roll and go!" 

Solo. "And I no longer cared to tarry,"
Chorus. "Spend my money on Sally Brown."
Solo. "So I courted Sal, her only daughter,"
    Chorus. "Aye, aye, roll and go!" 

Solo. "For her I sail upon the water,"
Chorus. "Spend my money on Sally Brown."
Solo. "Sally's teeth are white and pearly,"
    Chorus. "Aye, aye, roll and go!" 

Solo. "Her eyes are blue, her hair is curly,"
Chorus. "Spend my money on Sally Brown."
Solo. "The sweetest flower of the valley,"
    Chorus. "Aye, aye, roll and go!" 

Solo. "Is my dear girl, my pretty Sally,"
Chorus. "Spend my money on Sally Brown."

And so it runs on into a number of verses. How we did sing it out! It is something to hear a deepwater crew, in high spirits at getting into port, ring out a chanty. The tugmen came aboard and watched our enthusiasm as we almost ran round the capstan at times.
//

LEAVE HER JOHNNY at the end:
//
Then old Foghorn struck up, "Leave her, Johnnie," a great chanty.

CHANTY.—" LEAVE HER, JOHNNIE."
Solo. "I thought I heard the skipper say,"
Chorus. "Leave her, Johnnie, leave her!"
Solo. "To-morrow you will get your pay," 
   
Chorus. "It's time for us to leave her."
Solo. "The work was hard, the voyage was long," 
   
Chorus. "Leave her, Johnnie, leave her!"
Solo. "The seas were high, the gales were strong," 
   
Chorus. "It's time for us to leave her."
Solo. "The food was bad, the wages low,"
Chorus. "Leave her, Johnnie, leave her!"
Solo. "But now ashore again we'll go,"
Chorus. "It's time for us to leave her."
Solo. "The sails are furled, our work is done," 
   
Chorus. "Leave her, Johnnie, leave her!"
Solo. "And now on shore we'll have our fun," 
   
Chorus. "It's time for us to leave her."
//

Wow, Hugill really did harvest a lot of lines from this book.

One last passage of interest:

//
Some Yankee ships have what is called "checkerboard" crews, that is to say, niggers in one watch, white men in the other, and I believe the competition between the two watches is tremendous. There are some deep voyagers that go in for entirely nigger crews.

They are said to be rather unruly at sea, though good and fearless sailors. The great point about a negro crew is their "chantying." They do nothing without a chanty, and their chantying is a real musical treat, which, if put on the stage, I am very sure would draw immensely.
//