1839        "The Old Sailor." "A West India Sketch." _Chambers's Edinburgh Journal_ 367 (9 Feb, 1839).

The author is on the Mahaica river in British Guiana. He interrupts his narrative to remark on the rowing songs of the Black oarsmen. If indeed the author was an "Old Sailor," it is notable that he does not compares these to any sailor songs.

Although it seems completely original, it's remarkable how similar this description is to others of the time.

//
Suddenly, on a signal from their spokesman, the negroes struck up a song, to which they kept time with their oars. The leading songster sang a line solo, taking up any occurrence that crossed his mind at the moment, or that took place in our progress. Thus, when the looms of the oars were thrown aft to replunge the blade in the water, the leader sang his line, whatever it might be, and as they one and all took their stroke together, every voice united in a general chorus. The first subject was connected with our voyage. The leader commenced—
Wo da boy for pull da boat,
to which the rest instantly rejoined—
Sing cheerly row!

then the first line was repeated, and the response again followed; and it was extremely rare that a subject was alluded to more than once; indeed, as the scenery and circumstances were changing, he was seldom at a loss for a theme; and when it flagged, some sly hit at the manager, myself, or their fellow-negroes, supplied the deficiency. There was something extremely musical in the tone and manner of singing, that rendered it any thing but unpleasant; and as it acted upon the energies of the negroes, to incite them to greater exertion, we had no objection to it. Two or three other lines I remember were—

Sun him get abub da bush,
Sing cheerly row; 

Sun him get abub da bush,
Sing cheerly row.

Captain hab da grog-bottell,
        Sing cheerly row; 

Captain hab da grog-bottell, 

Sing cheerly row.

At one time the voice of the leader became low and solemn as he pronounced—

Poor Charley neber cum again.
Nigger boy cry oh! 

Poor Charley neber cum again, 

Nigger boy cry oh!

There was something exceedingly plaintive in the tone of the leader, as well as the response, and Mitchell informed me that they referred to the death of a favourite slave belonging to his plantation, who had been drowned at that very spot about twelve months previous. The motion of the oars was equally slow with the utterance of the singer, and several other allusions to the deceased were made in the same mournful strain, till all at once the leader shouted—

Alligator in da mud. 

Sing cheerly row;
Alligator in da mud. 

Sing cheerly row.
//

Later in the account, more verses are given, and the narrator refers to the rowing song as a "chaunt."
//
The boatmen could hear very little if any thing of our conversation; but seeing us earnestly engaged, they ceased their chaunt, for they guessed poor Charley's history was the theme: still they narrowly watched our looks, and spoke in an under tone to each other; and when my friend could no longer repress his feelings, the spokesman suddenly burst forth in a loud song that was really startling, on account of the previous stillness, though it e: the honest sentiments of the negroes' hearts—
Massa Mitchell bery good man.
Sing cheerly row; 

Massa Mitchell bery good man,
Sing cheerly row.
…
…I was going to inquire who Hammerton was, but the question was delayed by the peculiar mournful cadences of the negroes as they continued their chaunt. Their voices sank yet lower, as the leader, having looked towards a clump of plantain and papaw trees, uttered,
Old man tan upon da shore,
Sing saafly row; 
[I'm not sure of "saafly", but it's not "cheerly"]
Old man tan upon da shore. 

Sing saafly row.
"Hush, Sam—hush I" said Mitchell; "leave off your song: he is indeed there, bending over the grave of his child."
"Massa Hammerton like for hearee we peaka too much sorry," answered Sam, the leader of the chaunt.
//

And later, a guy ("Caesar") refers to the singing as "chant":
//
"Go, massa, go," continued the negro; "you no top longer; Golamity bless Massa Mitchell; go den quick, and no let em boys sing em chant hearee, spose you please."
//

This suggests that rowing songs (perhaps, specifically those in the style of New World Africans) were sometimes called "chaunt" or "chant", both by "outsiders" and "insiders". There seems to be a correspondence between the terms, as if perhaps "chaunt" was "proper English" and "chant" was dialect. However, I'm not sure what this says about pronunciation. My assumption is that "chaunt" would have been with "sh" sound, while "chant" (as a dialect term in that spelling) would have had "ch/tsh" sound.