Page:Twenty years before the mast - Charles Erskine, 1896.djvu/54

 The Protectress being off the line, of course you took her back. Oh, then your Macedonian! No finer ship could swim, — Decatur knocked her gilt work off, and then he towed her in. Then you sent your Boxer, to box us all about, But we had an enterprising brig that beat your boxer out, And boxed her up to Portland, and moored her off the town To show the Sons of Liberty the Boxer of renown. Then upon Lake Erie brave Perry had some fun, — You owned he beat your naval force and caused them all to run. Then upon Lake Champlain, the like ne’er known before, A British squadron beat complete, some took, some run ashore. Then your Indian allies, — you styled them by the name Until they turned the tomahawk, then savages they became, — Your mean insinuations despising from their hearts, They joined the Sons of Liberty and acted well their parts. Go tell your king and parliament — by all the world ’tis known — That what you gained by British force the Yankees have o’erthrown.

It was sung with such a will that it re-echoed throughout the silent bay and made the welkin ring. We soon heard the call of the boatswain followed by his mates,  calling all hands to cheer ship, and then we were given  three times three, from the one thousand voices on board  the ninety-gun ship.

While on shore one day with one of my messmates, an old privateersman, we were taken in tow by a mighty  clever man, who treated us several times, and finally  coaxed us on board his brig. He tried to persuade us  to desert our ship, and go with him to the coast of Africa  to trade for gold dust and ivory. He took us down into his cabin and showed us many tricks of the trade. Arriving on deck and seeing the coast clear, I told him all the gold dust was in his eye and the ivory in the negroes’  mouths. My old messmate gave me such a slap on the