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GEST Songs Of Newfoundland And Labrador
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'Twas in the month of September, the date I cannot give,
When everything upon the sea have found it hard to live,
Where boats and schooners found it bad, and also brigantines,
Around the shores of Newfoundland the like was seldom seen.
There's two captains in particular, their names I will send forth -
Tobias Murphy from The Rams, Tom Hann from Petit Forte.
As they were out on St. Mary's Banks when the gale began to rise,
They quickly got under way for to save their precious lives;
In under a double-reef foresail they runned before wind and sea,
And the first landfall I believe Tom saw was the point of Golden Bay.
For they were in quite handy and the morning it was thick,
With wind and tide upon both sides, it hove a heavy kick;
They hoisted a three-reef mainsail to clear in around the Cape,
It was their only chance, my b'ys, from danger to escape.
But when he got her in around it was to his greatest shock,
When a heavy sea broke on the boat, Tom thinks 'twas Brierly Rock.
For about three quarters of an hour and the sea in mountains foamed,
When those poor b'ys gave up their lives and all their friends at home.
The people on the shore that day they turned their backs around,
Not to behold that dreadful sight of their own friends sinking down.
The priest he read the rosary, it was read in open air,
The Holy Mother raised her hand and brought her children clear.
Tobias Murphy he made low and also was too late
For the wind it caught him on the veer before he reached the Cape;
In under a two-reef foresail he was forced to bear away,
And run her for North Harbour down in St. Mary's Bay.
Now Peter Murphy he took charge, we thought him best to steer.
Our compass and binnacle it was gone and the morning wasn't clear.
But that poor fellow hadn't long charge when dismal was his doom -
A heavy sea broke over her and swept him to his doom.
I'm sure the like had never runned in his strong heart or mind,
For he done his whole endeavour when he saw that sea behind;
Din Bruce he runned to help him not thinking that he'd go,
But a broken sea swept them away some fathoms down below.
It was terrible on board the boat that day for to see those two men drown,
Our boat was overpowered in sea and she would not come around;
Our boat got overpowered in sea and so seldom would she breathe,
As we left those poor fellows far behind in a wide and a watery grave.
And such another gale as that on the coast was seldom seen -
May the Lord have mercy on the souls of those two fishermen.