trad
A Crowd of Bold Sharemen writes: “An excellent description of the St. John’s waterfront circa 1913, when the ships were gearing up to go to the ice for the seal hunt. In those days the waterfront consisted of finger piers which is why so many ships could tie up in the short distance between Harvey’s and Bowring’s wharves. Many of these ships and their captains were well known around Newfoundland since they were active in other coastal trade around the island and in Labrador when they weren’t prosecuting the seal fishery.”
Alex Sturbaum: https://alexsturbaum.bandcamp.com/track/captains-and-ships
From Harvey’s I’ll start and to Bowring’s I’ll go
I’ll name all the ships and the captains also
Where the north king is raging and strong blows the gale
In search of the white coats a day they will sail
Chorus:
Where the north king is raging and strong blows the gale
In search of the white coats a day they will sail
In the Ad, Captain Doyle, in the Bell, Joe B. Nee
In the Bon, Captain Parsons, a stout man is he
And jolly Jake Keenan the spring will command
Harvey’s port steamer the Old Newfoundland
The name of the ships of Joe Brothers & Co
The first and the next one I’ll let ye all know
Of the good ship Diana Joe Blanford has charge
I hope she’ll come back before long with the surge
In comes the Beothic, so swift and so sure
I hope that George Barber is with her once more
And then there’s the Neptune, I see it’s a-plain
And likewise the Erik with pleasant Joe Kane
I wish them good luck and from jokes take my leave
I’ll name all the ships owned by Walter Baingreave
There’s the Bloodhound, Gate Windsor, he’ll yet make his mark
With Kane in the Iceland the cross Captain Clark
Their Brothers also got a fine man for sure
Baxter Barber who sails in the ship Labrador
He’ll fill her and bring her safe over the seas
As he did when he sailed with the Crosbys’ Louise
And then it’s the Bowrings, a firm that’s well-known
For the pluck, push, and enterprise all they have shown
For building that steamer, you all know her well
Having Kane her commander, the new Florisel
The Kive, Captain Caroll, I wish him good luck
Once more in the Eagle, Joe Kane showed his pluck
And Bartlett the Viking, I pray he will fill
And dear old Dan Green, will he make his big bill
The Ranger, Sam Windsor, be fleetingly seen
Likewise Noah Bishop, and the Algerine
My song is concluded ‘bout captains and ships
May they all come in with big beards on their lips