THE AUDD KINNOO

"A few days ago, Messrs. James Hall and Robert Cooper discovered
at low water a large canoe deeply embedded in the sand of the river Tyne.
After considerable trouble this relic of the past was raised and taken on shore,
when it was discovered that the canoe was one solid piece of oak, which had
evidently been burnt out in the centre, and then finished off with pieces of
flint. It was placed by Mr. Hall in the Elswick Boathouse, where it now remains.
Several antiquarians have inspected the unshapely boat recently brought to
light, and although great difference of opinion exists as to the date in which it
had been in use, the majority are inclined to believe that its age must be
something over one thousand years.-"Newcastle Chronicle, April 9th,1870."

TEUN-

"The Pawnshop Bleezin."

THE morn wes fair, the tide wes law,
The sun shone bright as iver,
When Jimmy Hall, te try a boat,
Pull'd slawlydoon the river;
Doon tiv he's oars he camly lies,
When sumthing fasinates he's eyes,
An' myeks him fairlyhaud his hand,
An objeck stickin throo the sand!
Te find oot what it is he lands,
An' plodges te the varry sands
'Wherehe's cawse 0' wundor's barried !

A lump 0' blaek an' dorty wood,
Wes a' that met he's view, man,
Thinks he, "It's like a seuller's starn,
Aw'll gan an' tell a few, man;
We'll seun hed up, an' then we'll see
What at this moment bothers me!"
Bob Cooper wes the forst he met,
An' wi' sum uther eheps, they set
Te hawl an' howk wi' might an' main.
An' lang they tried, an' lang in vain,
Till at last they quite succeeded. "

It's like a boat!" says Bob,"
it is, An' still it's like a tree, man,
We'll heh the sand oot forst, an' then
We'll heh mair chance te se, man!
They clear'd it oat, an' greet surprise
Fill'd a' thor 'stonished, wund'rin eyes,
For a' the boats they'd iver seen
Wes nowt like this or iver been,
For there the lang trunk ov an oak,
Quite worn wi' age, an' little broke,
Wes fashun'd like a boat, man!

"Ne planks or nails wes iver used
Te this," says Jim, "aw's sartin,
It's hollow'd oot frae stem te starn,
An' if it's not a smart un,
It's curious!" " Aye," says Bob, "it is.
Let's tyek't up te yor boat-boose wis,
An' sum larn'd chep we'll mevvies meet,
That's sure te put war noshuns reet!"
War Geordey wes the forst they saw,
An' seun he let them trooly knaw
The greet wundors ov its hist'ry,

Says he, "When boats like this wes used,
They myed them oot 0' trees, man,
They'd burn the body oot the trunk,
An' pare the sides like cheese, man,
An' keep them safe wi' plenty wet,
The fire only myed them swet,
But still it burnt away inside,
Till hollow'd oot,-a boat supplied,
When polish'd offwi' flint, man!

"The boat ye see's an aud kinnoo,
When Seize-her forst teuk Brittin,
Aw heh ne doot him or his chums
The syem wad often sit in;
In fact, aw've heerd a Roman lord
Once teuk se mony foaks on board,
Beside Reedheuff they com a-grund,
The foaks wes saved-the boatwes droon'd!
Aw heh ne doubt but that's just it,
An' if ye'll ony wait a bit,
Ye can sell'd tiv Anty Queer-uns !"

-Source: Joe Wilson, (author) Songs and Drolleries, 1890