THE YARN OF THE NANCY BELL.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VI, Issue 38, 14 February 1871, Page 4

THE YARN OF THE NANCY BELL.

'Twas on the shores tint l'oundjawr coast Erom Deal to Ruin- gate ap-an. Ttiat I found alone, on i^pieee of stone, An elderly naval qja'n. His hair was \\teeciy, his beard was long, And weedy and lons was he ; And I beardthe wight on the shore recite, In a singular minor key : " Oh, I am a cook and a captain bold, And a mate of the Nancy brier. And a Wsu:> tight, and k midshipmite, And the crew of the captain's gig." And he shook bis fi*-ts nnd tore his hair, Till I reallv felt a.rai-L For I couldn't belt) thinking that the man had been drinking. And so I simply said : " Oh, elderly man. it's li- tic T know Of tbe dudes of the mf>n of the sea, And I'll eat my lird it I undei-stmd How you can possibly be **' At once a cook nnd captain hold, And the mate A the Nancy hrijr. And a bo'-uu ti-.*:.;', and a loiiHupinite. And tiie eu-w of th • capt.imV -^g ! " Then be '-'ave - iu.ch to his trowt-er-j, whieh Is a trick (-il s«a:iien I mi, I And having gut rid ot a tlmnijing quid, * lie spun his painful yarn : " 'Twas in the stood ship Xaniy Ball Tbat we sailed to the Indian Sea, And there on a reef we came to grief, Whieh has ofc. n occurred to me. " Andfßh-.y nigh all the crew were drowned (There was seventy-seven o' soul) And only ten of tho Nuney's nien Said 'Here ' to ths muster roll. "There was me, and the cook, and the captain bold, And the mate of the Nancy biig, And the bo'sun tight, and a midshipmite, And the crew of the captain's gig. f ' For a month we had neither wittlesnor drink, Till a hungry we did feci ; So we drawed a lot, and aecordin' shot The Captain for our meal. " The next lot fell to the Nancy's mate, And a delicate dish he made ; Then our appetite with the midshipmite, We seveu survivors stayed. " And then we murdered the bo'sun tight, And he much resembled pig ; Then we vrittled free, did the cook and me, Oa the crew of tbe captain's gig, " Then the cook and me was left, And the delicate question, ' Which Of us two goes to tbe kettle ? ' arose, And we argued it out as sieh. For I loved that cook as a brother, I did, And the cook be worshiped me ; But we both be bio wed if we'd either be stowed In the other chap's bold, you see. TH be eat, if you dine off me, says Tom,' ' Yes, that,' says I " you'll be.' ♦ I'm boiled if I die, my friend,' quoth I ; And, ' Exactly so,' quoth he. " Says he, ' Dear James, to murder me, Were a foolish thing to do, For don't you see, you can't cook me, While 1 can— and will — cook you ! ' " So he boils the water, and takes the salt And the pepper in portions true (Which he never forgot) and some chopped shalot, And some sage and parsley too. ' Come here,' says he, with proper pride, Which his smiling features tell ; * 'Twill soothing be if I let you see — How extremely nice you'll smell.' "And he stirred it round, and round and round, And he sniffs at the foaming broth ; When I ups with his heels, and smothers bis squeals In the scum of the boiling broth, «"* And I eat that cook in a week or less, And — as I eating be The last of his chops, why I almost drops, For a vessel in sight I see. " And I never larf, and I never smile, And I never lark nor play ; But I sit and croak, and a single joke I have — which is co say : -' Oh. I am a cook ar.d a captain bold, And the mate ot the Nancy brig. And a bo'sun -i»h:, nnd a midshipmite. And the crew of the captain's gig t "