Bold MacCarteney (City of Baltimore)

Come all ye bold seafarin' men, and listen to my tale
Concerning Bold MacCarteney, In Liverpool town did dwell;
Down by the Salthouse docks one day as he did chance to stray,
On board a west-bound packet ship, he stow'd himself away.

As down the Mersey we set sail To New York we wuz bound,
The poor young lad began to think of the friends he'd left behind.
The poor young lad began to think of his friends and his native shore
And he curs'd the day he'd stowed away on the City of Baltimore.

When he came out of his hiding place, the mate to him did say;
"What made ye stow aboard this ship? come tell to me, I pray,
Among these wild Irish packet rats, you'll wish you'd have stayed ashore
And ye'll curse the day ye sailed away on the City of Baltimore.

'Twas early every mornin' the mate he turned us to
'Twas early every mornin'he tried to kick us through,
"Where is that Irish stowaway?" the mate, I heard him say,
"I'm here," sez bold MacCarteney, "What do yer want of me?"

Now the mate, he being a cowardly dog, for MacCarteney did go
An' with an iron belayin' pin he tried to lay him low;
But MacCarteney bein' a smart young chap as he'd often proved ashore,
He laid the mate upon his back on the City of Baltimore.

The second mate and bosun came to the mate's relief
But with a heavy ol' capstan bar he made them both retreat,
His Irish blood wuz boilin' now, an' then we heard him roar,
"Oh, skin and hair will fly this day on the City of Baltimore."

The cap'n, a Nova Scotiaman, MacDonnel wuz his name,
An' when he heard the fight, me buckos, right for'ard then he came,
Sez he," Me bold MacCarteney, you're a regular son-o'-a-whore,
I'll make ye bosun of my ship, the City of Baltimore."

From Songs of the Sea, Hugill
DT #408
Laws K26
RG