CHAPTER XIII 



For like the Duke of York 



We have some stalwart men, 

 And we led them out to the High, High Sea, 



And we led them back again. 



NEW CHANTEY. 



WE began this day with a chantey a cheerful, 

 fine-weather chantey. There are lugubrious 

 songs too for bad weather or unhappy crews 

 " Stormalong," for instance, " Stormie," who " heard the 

 angels call." I associate that slow minor air with the 

 dreary sough and rush of wind and seas south of Cape 

 Horn. But to-day it was the cheery 





" Then blow, ye winds, hi ho, to California, 

 For there's plenty gold, so I've been told, 

 On the banks of Sacramento." 



It's ages and ages since I've heard it, and to-day it came 

 off by chance with a go ! We were below amongst the ropes 

 and harpoons, Henriksen and I and some men, and had rigged 

 a hand-pump to shift fresh water from midship tank into 

 the steward's, and we set to, coats off, four at a time, to 

 pump, and I think the captain began ; the fine weather we 

 have struck must have given us spirits, for the chantey rang 

 out all right ; and the fellows on deck were quite surprised 

 and looked down, grinning. Norsemen are not great at 

 chanteys as a rule, but "California" is known pretty well 

 round the world by all nationalities. 



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