The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #42245   Message #4209941
Posted By: Lighter
16-Oct-24 - 01:14 PM
Thread Name: Origins: Cruising round Yarmouth
Subject: RE: Origins: Cruising round Yarmouth
Doerflinger recorded the following fragment from William Laurie, also in NYC:

Oh, as I went a-walking down Ratcliffe Highway,
I spied a flash packet, 'er wind blowing free.
She 'ad up no colors, no flag did she fly.
I could tell she was Dutch by the cut of 'er jib.

    Singing tu-re-lye-laddie, tu-re-lye-laddie,
    Sing tu-re-lye-laddie, I-tu-re-lye-lay.

I hailed her in English; she answered me so:
"I'm from the Blue Anchor bound to the Brown Bear."
I tipped her my flipper, I took her in tow,
And it's yardarm to yardarm together we go.

Oh I've fought with the Russians, the Prussians also,
I've fought Johnny Bull and Johnny Crapaud,
But of all the sights that I ever did see -
She beat all the sights of the heathen Chinese. [sic


Laurie's melody for the stanzas is much like "The Bonnets of Bonnie Dundee." The refrains recall "Tom Sherman's Barroom"!