The Bay of Biscay

The Bay of Biscay

You gentlemen of England who live at home at ease.
it is little do you think,or know, the dangers of the seas;
When we receive our orders we are obliged to go,
Cross the main to proud Spain, let the wind blow high or low.

On the second day of August fro, Spithead we set sail,
With Ramsay in our company, blessed with a pleasant gale;
We sailed along together to the Bay of Biscay O
Where dreadful storms came on and the wind began to blow.

Then, Ramsay in our company, she could no longer stay.
It was by stress of weather, from us she bore away;
She put in to Gibraltar and she told the people so –
That she feared we were all lost in the Bay of Biscay O.

But, as Heaven provided, it was not quite so bad.
Though first we lost our main mast, and with it went our flag;
And then we lost our mizzin [sic] mast , six of our guns also,
And of men we lost ten, in the Bay of Biscay O.

The Captain on the quarterdeck, it killed him outright,
Gold rings upon his fingers were burst asunder quite;
Gold rings upon his fingers, it bursted them in two.
There he lay till next day, when we over-board him threw.

But as yet we had not perceived this melancholy stroke,
For in the side of our good ship, there was a great hole broke;
Which caused our gun room with water for to flow
There we rolled and we tolled in the Bay of Biscay O.

The storm, it being over, we rigged a jury mast
We put in to Gibraltar, where we came to at last;
We put in to Gibraltar, where we lay at the New Mole
And the people, they came flocking in, our state for to behold.

They said we were the saddest sight that ever they did know
We ne’er repine, but drank wine, till we drownded all our woe;
We ne’er repine, but drank wine, till we drownded all our woe.
Here’s a long fare-you-well to the Bay of Biscay O.