O, ’twas merry down to Looe when the news was carried through
That the George would put to sea all with the morning tide;
And all her jolly crew hurrah’d till they were blue
When the captain said, ‘My lads, we’ll tan the Frenchman’s hide!’
For Captain Davy Dann was a famous fightin’ man,
Who lov’d the smell o’ powder and the thunder o’ the guns,
And off the coast of France often made the Frenchmen dance
To the music from his sloop of only ninety tons.
So at the break o’ day there were hundreds on the quay
To see the gallant ship a-warping out to sea;
And the Mayor, Daniel Chubb, was hoisted on a tub,
And he cried, ‘Good luck to Dann, with a three times three!’
For the news that came from Fowey was that ev’ry man and boy
And all the gallants there were expecting of a ship.
And the lively lads o’ Looe, they thought they’d watch her too,
Lest the Frenchman showed his heels and gave ’em all the slip.
So along by Talland Bay the good ship sailed away,
And the boats were out at Polperro to see what they could see;
And old Dann, he cried, ‘Ahoy! you’d better come to Fowey,
And help to blow the Mounseers to the bottom of the sea!’
Now, ’twas almost set o’ sun, and the day was almost done,
When we sighted of a frigate beating up against the wind;
And we put on all our sail till we came within her hail,
And old Dann politely asked, ‘Will you follow us behind?’
But the Frenchmen fore and aft only stood and grinned and laughed,
And never guessed the captain was in earnest, don’t you see?
For we’d only half her guns, and were only ninety tons,
And they thought they’d blow us easy to the bottom o’ the sea.
But our brave old Captain Dann—oh, he was a proper man!—
Sang out with voice like thunder unto ev’ry man aboard:
‘Now all you men of Looe just show what you can do,
And we’ll board her, and we’ll take her, by the help o’ the Lord!’
Then up her sides we swarm’d, and along her deck we storm’d,
And sword and pike were busy for the space of half an hour;
But before the day was done, tho’ they number’d two to one,
Her commander had to yield, and his flag to lower.
Then we turn’d our ship about, and while the stars came out
We tow’d our prize right cheerily past Fowey and Polperro;
And we blest old Captain Dann, for we hadn’t lost a man,
And our wounded all were doing well a-down below.
And when we came to Looe, all the town was there to view,
And the mayor in his chain and gown he cried out lustily,
‘Nine cheers for Captain Dann, and three for every man,
And the good ship George that carried them to victory!’
Benn Wilkes Jones Trevaldwyn.
