Greenland Whale Fisheries

This version of the song was collected from the singing of Harry Cox of Norfolk.

In eighteen hundred and twenty-three On March the thirteenth day, we hoisted our colours to the top of the mast And for Greenland bore away, brave boys And for Greenland bore away.

The lookout in the crosstrees stood With spyglass in his hand; There's a whale, there's a whale There's whalefish he cried And she blows at every span, brave boys She blows at every span

The captain stood on the quarter deck The ice was in his eye Overhaul, overhaul! Let your davit tackles fall And get your boats to sea, brave boys And get your boats to sea

Well the harpoon struck and the line ran down The whale gave a flourish of her tail She capsized our boat and we lost five men And we never caught that whale, brave boys And we never caught that whale.

On the losing of that sperm whale fish It grieved our captain sore But the losing of those five gallant men Oh It grieved him ten times more, brave boys Oh It grieves him ten times more

"Up anchor now" our captain cried For the winter star do appear It's time to leave this cold country And for england we will steer brave boys And for england we will steer

Oh Greenland is a dreadful place A land that's never green Where there's ice and snow and the whalefishes blow and the daylight's seldom seen brave boys But the daylight's seldom seen