Spanish Ladies, An Odle Forecastle Song

“Farewell and adieu to you, Spanish ladies,

Farewell and adieu to you, ladies of Spain;

    For we have received orders

    For to sail to old England,

But we hope in a short time to see you again.”

“We’ll rant and we’ll roar, like true British sailors,

We’ll rant and we’ll roar across the salt seas;

    Until we strike soundings

    In the Channel of old England.

From Ushant to Scilly ’tis thirty-five leagues.

“Then we hove our ship to, with the wind at sou’west, my boys,

Then we hove our ship to, for to strike soundings clear;

    Then we filled the main topsail

    And bore right away, my boys,

And straight up the Channel of old England did steer.

“So the first land we made, it is called the Deadman,

Next Ram Head, off Plymouth, Start, Portland, and the Wight;

    We sail-ed by Beachy,

    By Fairly and Dungeness,

And then bore away for the South Forehand light.

“Now the signal it was made for the grand fleet to anchor,

All in the Downs that night for to meet;

    Then stand by your stoppers,

    See clear your shank painters,

Hawl all your clew garnets, stick out tacks and sheets.”

Chapter 17, Poor Jack, by Frederick Marryat, 1840