happy? - July 12 ('the bloody forty')

Subject: happy? - July 12 ('the bloody forty')
From: Abby Sale
Date: 12 Jul 05 - 09:27 AM

There is an account in Western Ocean Packets by Basil Lubbock. The story, much in Capt. Samuels' words, relates an attempted mutiny by packet rats from the notorious gang "the bloody forty" on 7/12/1859 on the famous clipper, Dreadnaught. Capt. Samuels (same Samuels & ship as in the well-known chantey) had been warned the gang would make trouble but hired them on anyway. As it happened, he and the second mate alone faced down the 30 armed mutineers. He eventually had them meekly scrubbing the deck. On arrival at port, news of the mutiny had already spread. The police superintendant and his posse, hurrying to the ship, was just in time to witness the bloody forty bidding goodby to their captain... with three hearty cheers!

          Well I've known the hardest captains and sailed with the toughest crews
          And I've shipped aboard me share of Black Balls, matey
          But I've never seen as big a row in all my years at sea
          As when Captain Samuels met the bloody forty
  
                  "The Bloody Forty," words & tune © Jerry Bryant

Copyright © 2005, Abby Sale - all rights reserved
What are Happy's all about? See Clicky

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The Western Ocean Packets: https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Western_Ocean_Packets/3vUEAAAAMAAJ

The Dreadnaught Mutiny (Jerry Bryant)

Subject: RE: happy? - July 12
From: JWB
Date: 12 Jul 05 - 11:22 PM

Abby,

Thanks for the Happy! shout-out. Because I was earning a living today and not having fun with folk music, the anniversary passed me right by.

Since I'm not dead yet, I'll share with you that the second line of the chorus of "The Dreadnaught Mutiny", quoted above, is: And I've shipped aboard me share of blood boats, matey. At least that's how I wrote it, though I will never argue with the folk process.

Not exactly a mondegreen, but understandable since no one uses that term anymore. A blood boat was a packet in which the crew supped handspike gruel and scarfed seaboot tea:

Oh, it's larboard and starboard on deck you will sprawl
For kickin' Jack Williams commands this Black Ball!

Be well,

Jerry

Subject: RE: happy? - July 12
From: Abby Sale
Date: 13 Jul 05 - 09:58 AM

Thank you, sir. Change noted for the file. The mondegreen must be my own. I'm pretty sure the above words were taken by my own aged ear from my own field recording. That is, at Mystic Festival.

OTOH, it's been recorded commercially at least once as "The Bloody Forty."

Subject: RE: happy? - July 12
From: curmudgeon
Date: 15 Jul 05 - 12:17 PM

On a completely different note...

On the twelfth of July as it yearly would come,
Bob played on the flute to the sound of the drum.
You may talk of your harp, your piano or lute,
But none could compare to the ould orange flute!

Subject: RE: happy? - July 12 ("the bloody forty")
From: GUEST,Garsha
Date: 17 Jan 11 - 01:40 PM

would anyone happen to have the lyrics for this song?