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We leaved our homes on Tuesday, the day was bright and clear,
And for to get a turn of bait away all hands did steer;
Our hearts being young as the day passed on and everything went right,
Till we camped upon the mountains all on that fatal night.
'Twas early the next morning the weather it grew clear,
We then rolled up our luggage and our journey we did steer;
Everything went right all that long day as you may understand,
We were nearly chilled from wind and rain but never lost a man.
'Twas early the next morning our foreman he did say:
"Come bundle up your luggage, boys, we must retreat our way."
The rain and fog lay thick all 'round, the winds did howl and mourn,
Two of those boys that leaved their homes they'll nevermore return.
The first one died, it was young Russ, and he was twelve years old,
The other was young Dennis most dreadful to behold;
His age it was about sixteen as you may understand,
He was his father's only son, a promising young man.
What those poor boys did suffer no one will ever behold,
Without fire, food, or water in that bitter piercing cold,
Their limbs no more did strength contain, and too weak for to cry,
Their lives departed from them and they lay down to die.
A gallant man had raised these boys to you I will make clear,
His name was Eli Roberts, he was our comrade dear;
He was a man both kind in heart and tender in love,
He is an honest fisherman that lives in Sally's Cove.
Collected in 1959 from George Decker of Rocky Harbour, NL, by Ken Peacock and published in Songs Of The Newfoundland Outports, Volume 3, pp.971-972, by the National Museum of Canada (1965) Crown Copyrights Reserved.
George Decker told Kenneth Peacock that he composed this ballad forty or fifty years ago [ca.1919-1929]. Today Sally's Cove is a park enclave community in the north end of Gros Morne National Park, about fifteen minutes north by car from Rocky Harbour, NL.
