36 - Greenland Whale Fishery

In eighteen hundred and forty-six
And of March the eighteenth day,
We hoisted our colours to the top of the mast
And for Greenland sailed away, brave boys,
And for Greenland sailed away.

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

The captain stood on the quarter deck,
The ice was in his eye;
Overhaul, overhaul! let your gibsheets fall,
And you’ll put your boats to sea, brave boys
And you’ll put your boats to sea.

Our harpoon struck and the line played out,
With a single flourish of his tail,
He capsized the boat and we lost five men,
And we did not catch the whale, brave boys,
And we did not catch the whale.

The losing of those five jolly men,
It grieved the captain sore,
But the losing of that fine whalefish
Now it grieved him ten times more, brave boys
Now it grieved him ten times more.

Oh Greenland is a barren land
A land that bears no green
Where there’s ice and snow, and the whalefishes blow
And the daylight’s seldom seen, brave boys
And the daylight’s seldom seen.