Songs of Sea and Sail

<h2>THE TARTAR.</h2> <span style="margin-left: 2em;">The wind from East to South has shifted,</span><br/> <span style="margin-left: 2em;">The sea's gone down and the clouds are rifted,</span><br/> <span style="margin-left: 2em;">And broad on the larboard bow are seen</span><br/> <span style="margin-left: 2em;">A full-rigged ship and a brigantine,</span><br/> <span style="margin-left: 2em;">With a topsail schooner in between&mdash;</span><br/> <span style="margin-left: 11em;">All bound to London Town.</span><br/> <span style="margin-left: 2em;">The ship with a golden freight is freighted,</span><br/> <span style="margin-left: 2em;">The old brigantine with coal is weighted,</span><br/> <span style="margin-left: 2em;">The schooner's a slippery privateer,</span><br/> <span style="margin-left: 2em;">With roguish rig and a saucy sheer&mdash;</span><br/> <span style="margin-left: 2em;">Her cargo is guns and hearts of cheer&mdash;</span><br/> <span style="margin-left: 11em;">All bound to London Town.</span><br/> <span style="margin-left: 2em;">A Frenchman out of old Brest is cruising,</span><br/> <p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_108" id="Page_108">[Pg 108]</SPAN></span></p> <span style="margin-left: 2em;">"A chance," says he, "there's no refusing.</span><br/> <span style="margin-left: 2em;">I will drive that privateer away;</span><br/> <span style="margin-left: 2em;">The ship and the brig will be my prey,</span><br/> <span style="margin-left: 2em;">For we don't meet prizes every day&mdash;</span><br/> <span style="margin-left: 11em;">All bound to London Town."</span><br/> <span style="margin-left: 2em;">Then, crowding sail, on the wind he hurried;</span><br/> <span style="margin-left: 2em;">The ship and the brig they worried and scurried.</span><br/> <span style="margin-left: 2em;">The privateer, with her canvas short,</span><br/> <span style="margin-left: 2em;">Just showed a muzzle at every port,</span><br/> <span style="margin-left: 2em;">For she'd a crew of the fighting sort&mdash;</span><br/> <span style="margin-left: 11em;">When bound to London Town.</span><br/> <span style="margin-left: 2em;">The Frenchman tacked the weather gauge after;</span><br/> <span style="margin-left: 2em;">The privateer cut the sea abaft her;</span><br/> <span style="margin-left: 2em;">Before she had time to ease a turn</span><br/> <span style="margin-left: 2em;">They drove a broadside into her stern,</span><br/> <span style="margin-left: 2em;">For fighting's a trade one's apt to learn&mdash;</span><br/> <span style="margin-left: 11em;">When bound to London Town.</span><br/> <span style="margin-left: 2em;">Then side by side with their guns they pounded,</span><br/> <p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_109" id="Page_109">[Pg 109]</SPAN></span></p> <span style="margin-left: 2em;">Till catching a puff the schooner rounded,</span><br/> <span style="margin-left: 2em;">And ere they had way to do the like,</span><br/> <span style="margin-left: 2em;">She laid them aboard with blade and pike,</span><br/> <span style="margin-left: 2em;">So what could the Brestman do but strike&mdash;</span><br/> <span style="margin-left: 11em;">And go to London Town?</span><br/> <span style="margin-left: 2em;">The wind from East to the South has shifted,</span><br/> <span style="margin-left: 2em;">The sea's gone down and the clouds are rifted,</span><br/> <span style="margin-left: 2em;">And broad on the larboard bow are seen</span><br/> <span style="margin-left: 2em;">A privateer and a brigantine,</span><br/> <span style="margin-left: 2em;">With a captured Frenchman in between&mdash;</span><br/> <p><span class="pagenum"><SPAN name="Page_110" id="Page_110">[Pg 110]</SPAN></span></p> <span style="margin-left: 11em;">All bound to London Town.</span><br/> <div style="break-after:column;"></div><br />