The Port Admiral
’Twas at the landing place that’s just below Mount Wyse,
Poll leaned against the sentry’s box, a tear in both her eyes:
Her apron twisted round her arms, all for to keep them warm,
Being a windy Christmas Day, and also a snow-storm.
And Bet and Sue
Both stood there too,
A-shivering by her side;
They both were dumb,
And both look’d glum
As they watched the ebbing tide.
Poll put her arms a-kimbo:
At the admiral’s house look’d she;
To thoughts before in limbo,
She now a vent gave free.
You have sent the ship in a gale to work,
On a lee-shore to be jammed;
I’ll give you a piece of my mind, old Turk:
Port Admiral, you be damned.
Chorus.
We’ll give you a piece of our mind, old Turk:
Port Admiral, you be damned.
Whoever heard in the sarvice of a frigate made to sail
On Christmas Day, it blowing hard, with sleet, and snow, and hail?
I wish I had the fishing of your back that is so bent,
I’d use the galley poker hot, unto your heart’s content.
Here Bet and Sue
Are with me too,
A-shivering by my side;
They both are dumb,
And both look glum,
And watch the ebbing tide.
Poll put her arms a-kimbo:
At the admiral’s house looked she;
To thoughts that were in limbo,
She now a vent gave free.
You’ve got a roaring fire, I’ll bet:
In it your toes are jammed;
Let’s give him a piece of our mind, my Bet:
Port Admiral, you be damned!
Chorus.
Let’s give him a piece of our mind, my Bet:
Port Admiral, you be damned.
I had the flour, and plums all picked, and suet all chopped fine,
To mix into a pudding rich, for all the mess to dine:
I pawn’d my ear-rings for the beef, it weighed at least a stone:
Now my fancy man is sent to sea, and I am left alone.
Here’s Bet and Sue
Who stand here too,
A-shivering by my side;
They both are dumb,
They both look glum,
And watch the ebbing tide.
Poll put her arms a-kimbo:
At the admiral’s house look’d she;
To thoughts that were in limbo,
She now a vent gave free:
You’ve got a turkey, I’ll be bound,
With which you will be crammed;
I’ll give you a bit of my mind, old hound:
Port Admiral, you be damned.
Chorus.
We’ll give you a bit of our mind, old hound:
Port Admiral, you be damned.
I’m sure that in this weather they cannot cook their meat:
To eat it raw on Christmas Day will be a pleasant treat;
But let us all go home, girls; it’s no use waiting here:
We’ll hope that Christmas Day to come they’ll have a better cheer.
So Bet and Sue,
Don’t stand here too,
A-shivering by my side;
Don’t keep so dumb,
Don’t look so glum,
Nor watch the ebbing tide.
Poll put her arms a-kimbo:
At the admiral’s house look’d she;
To thoughts that were in limbo,
She now a vent gave free.
So while they cut their raw salt junks,
With dainties you’ll be cramm’d;
Here’s once for all my mind, old hunks:
Port Admiral, you be damned.
Chorus.
So once for all our mind, old hunks:
Port Admiral, you be damned.