The Coast of Peru
Come, all ye bold sailors,
Who sail ’round Cape Horn,
Come, all the bold whalers,
Who cruise ’round for sperm.
The Captain has told us,
And I hope’t will prove true
That there’s plenty of sperm whales
Off the coast of Peru.
The first whale we saw
Near the close of the day.
Our Captain came on deck,
And thus he did say:
“Now all my bold sailors,
Pray be of good glee,
For we ’ll see him in the morning,
P’raps mider our lee.”
It was early next morning,
Just as the sun rose,
The man at the mast-head
Called out, “There she blows!”
“Whereaway?” cried our Captain,
As he sprang up aloft.
“Three points on our lee bow,
And scarce two miles off.”
“Now trace up your yards, boys,
We ’ll fasten anear.
Get your lines in your boats,
See your box lines all clear;
Haul back the main yard, boys,
Stand by, each boat’s crew,
Lower away, lower away,
My brave fellows, do.”
“Now, bend to your oars, boys,
Just make the boat fly,
But whatever you do, boys,
Keep clear from his eye.”
The first mate soon struck,
And the whale he went down,
While the old man pulled up,
And stood by to bend on.
But the whale soon arose;