MOONLIGHT AND DAYBREAK 211 



have made for the mouth of the harbour creek, 

 the boats will pass in comparatively near to 

 us. Here they come, six of them, one after 

 the other, their usual style of entering the 

 creek, for obvious reasons. A voice on board 

 the leading boat, one that I know well, strikes 

 up in a " shanty catch," one that is too old for 

 us to get at the date of: 



" Oh, the herring loves the bright moonlight, 



And the mackerel loves the wind ; 

 But the oyster loves the dredger's song, 

 For he comes of a gentle kind." 



The song proceeds from old Craft's son ; he 

 is giving vent to his feelings on making port 

 on the harbour tide. 



The boat passes on, the others follow silently ; 

 five have gone round the bend, the sixth has 

 not reached the creek. 



Some one on board of her is singing, or 

 rather wailing out like a sprat loon, " The 

 Banks of Allan Water." It is old Piper Owlet, 

 crooning to himself in the joy of his heart over 

 the moonlight and the ripple of the tide. This 

 and "The Isle of St. Helena" were Pipers 

 favourite songs ; in fact, the only songs he 

 knew. "St. Helena" was looked upon by all 

 of us as a special treat ; as he was wont to 



