JOHN SMITH A.B.
(w. D.H. Rogers attrib/m. N.Colquhoun)

When the southern gale is blowing hard
And the watch are all on topsail yard
When five come down where six went up
There’s one less to share the bite and sup

Chorus
Instead of the stone and the carven verse
This is his epitaph curt and terse
John Smith A.B. drowned in latitude fifty-three
A heavy gale and a following’ sea

A name is missed when the roll they call
A hand the less for the mainsail haul
They steal his rags and his bags and bed
Little it matters to him who’s dead

Chorus

We’ve lost the way to the open sea
We’ve missed the doom we hoped to free
For the big ships runnin’ their eastin’ down
Are far from the din of Sydney town

Chorus

Sailing ships began to visit New Zealand around the 1790s, a few on the lookout for tall timbers but most hunting for whale. At this time whalebone was used for strength and flexibility
where steel is now used and whale oil kept the cotton- and woollen-mill machinery lubricated. The tall straight kauri could be used for masts and spars and flax made excellent rope - for these were the great days of sail, the "impressed" sailor, the "run-away-to-sea" and the able-bodied Jack Smith. 'Song of a Young Country' p6.

Youtube clip

Here's a link to information re 'Soon may the wellerman come' on the NZ folk song site. I meant to post it when I posted the lyrics:

Click

--Stewie.