length. "Sánta Anna," "The Flash Packet," and "Rolling Home" none of which have I seen in any other collection-were taken down from the mouths of Bristolian seamen while on an East Indian voyage in a sailing-ship; one and two were from an elderly man in whose life there had been some dark nautical and South American patches; the third came from a young fellow who had learnt it during his previous voyage. The elder D'Israeli said that in his day worksongs were common to the Greek, Venetian and other sailors and boatmen. He might have added that our own North-country handloom-weavers used to sing to the rhythm of the shuttle; and, I believe, the same is done to-day in the Orient. We know that the Hebridean harvesters sang together to the swing of their sickles; and that the old-time dairymaids had milking songs, which were supposed to charm larger supplies of milk from the cows than the animals would give to milkers who did not sing. So far as my experience goes such songs are sung by seamen all the world over; and very often a negro is the best chantyman in a ship's crew, which fact-it seems to me-is due to the whimsical, plaintive and rather wailing note that is common to the somewhat falsetto voice of the average black, and appears to be so fitting to the solo parts of the song; while the inspiriting nature of it, that which temporarily doubles the strength of every man in the pull or the heave, is got out of the chorus. The best chanty-man I ever heard was a native of the Seychelles, who went by the name of Allan Robin. PROPERTY OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK THE OCEAN'S SELF, MAN'S LOVE FOR IT, ITS MESSAGE AND ITS CALL The moving waters at their priest-likę iask KEATS. I have loved thee, Ocean! and my joy BYRON. A shepherd-lad, who, ere his sixteenth year, WORDSWORTH. length. "Sánta Anna," "The Flash Packet," and "Rolling Home " none of which have I seen in any other collection—were taken down from the mouths of Bristolian seamen while on an East Indian voyage in a sailing-ship; one and two were from an elderly man in whose life there had been some dark nautical and South American patches; the third came from a young fellow who had learnt it during his previous voyage. The elder D'Israeli said that in his day worksongs were common to the Greek, Venetian and other sailors and boatmen. He might have added that our own North-country handloom-weavers used to sing to the rhythm of the shuttle; and, I believe, the same is done to-day in the Orient. We know that the Hebridean harvesters sang together to the swing of their sickles; and that the old-time dairymaids had milking songs, which were supposed to charm larger supplies of milk from the cows than the animals would give to milkers who did not sing. So far as my experience goes such songs are sung by seamen all the world over; and very often a negro is the best chantyman in a ship's crew, which fact-it seems to me is due to the whimsical, plaintive and rather wailing note that is common to the somewhat falsetto voice of the average black, and appears to be so fitting to the solo parts of the song; while the inspiriting nature of it, that which temporarily doubles the strength of every man in the pull or the heave, is got out of the chorus. The best chanty-man I ever heard was a native of the Seychelles, who went by the name of Allan Robin. PROPERTY OF THE CITY OF NEW YO THE OCEAN'S SELF, MAN'S LOVE FOR IT, ITS MESSAGE AND ITS CALL The moving waters at their priest-like, iask KEATS. I have loved thee, Ocean! and my joy BYRON. A shepherd-lad, who, ere his sixteenth year, WORDSWORTH. |