Digital Tradition Mirror

Schooner Fred Dunbar

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Pennywhistle notation and Dulcimer tab for this song is also available

Schooner Fred Dunbar
(Amos Hanson)

You darling girls of Bagaduce who live along the shore
'Tis little do you think or know what sailors do endure
Or if you did, you would treat them with more respect than before
You never would go with a landloper while sailors are on shore

Oh those Penobscot cowboys will tell you girls fine tales
Of the hardships they endure while they are in the cornfields
While they feed their hens and punch their pigs and make their mothers roar
While we, like jovial-hearted boys, go to the Bay Chaleur

You darling girls of Bagaduce perhaps you'd like to know
The names of all our sailors before we start to go
Their names and dispositions, I'll endeavor to explain
Before we set our canvas to plough the raging main

The first was Hiram Wardwell who runs the Rory O'More
The next was Captain Perkins who roams the golden shore
They're very much respected by all both fore and aft
Two better men cannot be found on an Androscoggin raft

There was little Herman, Leroy and Bill, and Oliver Quinn and Steel
And Amos H. the author, who an entry sheep did steal
The next was little Owen, who loves the girls so well
The last was young Horatio - we called him the Admiral

On board of the Schooner Fred Dunbar, well found in fishing gear
We crowded on our canvas, for Green's Landing we did steer
When we arrived at anchor, the sun was very low
'Twas there we shipped young Stinson and Captain Mood Thurlew

When we arrived at Port McGrave, we hauled in for our salt
We took our little fiddle to have a little waltz
There was twelve of us when we started, our songs through the woods did roar
When we arrived, I was surprised, I could not count but four

The first day of September, broad off Cape Mardean
We struck a squall from our south-southeast which broke our boom in two
So gallantly she weathered it and it was fine to see
She walked to the windward with mainsail down, bound out to Margaree

The last day of September will be remembered well
And how poor sailors fared that night, no tongue can ever tell
The wind blew high, the seas grew rough, and in torrents fell the rain
I never saw such a night before and hope I shan't again

You darling girls of Bagaduce, the time is drawing nigh
When soon you'll see the Stars and Stripes from the Fred's main topmast fly
Get ready, gallant lasses, put on your other gowns
 For soon you'll see the Fred Dunbar come sailing up to town

O now this voyage is ended and we've arrived on shore
With our pockets full of greenbacks we have earned to the Bay Chaleur
So merrily we'll dance and sing, as we have done before,
And when our money is all gone, we'll plough the bay some more.

DT #832
Laws D14
from Barry in Bulletin og the Folk-Song Society of the Northeast, 1933
Collected from Mrs. Emory Howard, North Bluehill, ME in 1932
SOF
apr97

Thanks to Mudcat for the Digital Tradition!