I am much releived that access to Mudcat seems to be back to normal again. It took me about four goes to get this thread started.

Thanks all for the clarifications, and for putting me right about the tune. Dunno why I said it was Yankee Doodle. The old brain suffers from glitches.

I would however beg to differ about it's being a version of The Cruise of the Calabar. The couplet
"Then all became confusion as the stormy winds did roar
And the captain wished himself and crew were safe again on shore"
is similar to one in TCotC, and of course the general theme is the same, but that's all.