Digital Tradition Mirror

Captain Coulston (2)

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Captain Coulston (2)

Come all you loyal countrymen, you heros stout and brave,
That do intend to cross the sea, your country for to leave;
Come join with Captain Coulston, that hearo stout and bold,
Who fought his way all on the sea and never was controlled.

The number of his passengers was three hundred and sixty-two;
And they were all teetotallers, excepting one or two,
The lemonade was passed around, to nourish them at sea,
And Father Mathew's medals they wore unto Amerikay.

The weather was as charming as ever you saw before;
For twenty days of pleasure we never thought of shore.
The captain and his lady fair, were seen on deck each day
To crown our hearts with merriment while sailing on the sea.

It was on the twelfth of April, just at the fall of night
Our captain went around his ship to see if all was right.
He said,'Brave boys, do not go down, you need not think of sleep
For in a few short moments we'll be slumbering in the deep.

'A pirate ship is coming up from o'er the western sea,
To rob us of our property as we go to Amerikay.'
The pirate ship she then came up, and ordered us to stand:
'Your gold and precious loading, this moment I demand.

'Your gold and precious lending, resign to us this day,
For if not, one soul you'll never bring unto Amerikay.
Then out spoke Captain Coulston, unto his jovial crew
Saying,'We will fight until we die; we've nothing else to do.

Then out spoke Captain Coulston, that hero stout and bold: '
"Tis in the deep we all will sleep, before we'll be controlled.
This bloody battle then commenced, the blood in streams did flow,
Undaunted were our Irish boys, who did them overthrow.

There was a young man on the deck with his true love by his side
With courage bold they fought their way along the bulwark side.
She cried,'My gallant hero, I'll shortly end this strife.
And with a pocket pistol ball, she took the pirate captain's life.

Then cried the women and the children as in the hold they lay
While the captain and his Irish boys showed the pirates gallant play.
'Well done, well done,' brave Coulston cried.'Well done my lady too.
Your aim has proved so deadly, you've shot the pirate captain through.'

Now to conclude and finish, the truth I will tell you
Our losses were not many, they being only one or two.
The pirate ship surrendered just at the break of day
And we brought her as a prisoner unto Amerikay.

from Irish Songs of the Sea, Healy
RG
oct99

Thanks to Mudcat for the Digital Tradition!