Guest Jeff: The song was written by John Roberts and Frederick McQueen a few days after the tragedy. Roberts had been a crewman on the Pytoria (which seems to be the schooner's correct name) only a week before.

Have you located any pre-Blake sources for the song? Or any source at all for the spelling? We know she was registered as the Pretoria.

"Pytoria" reads more like what a Yank trying to sound out "Pretoria" in Bahamian English would come up with. Just guessing.