February 21, 2006

"From Ushant To Scilly 'Tis Thirty Five Leagues"

Channel Map.jpg

Yes, this is an extra helping of gratuitous Royal Navy geekery posting, but in putting together my earlier post on Edward Hawke and the birth of the song "Hearts of Oak", I also came across another favorite of Nelson's Navy (and Patrick O'Brian fans), "Spanish Ladies":

Farewell and adieu to you, Spanish Ladies,
Farewell and adieu to you, ladies of Spain;
For we've received orders for to sail for ole England,
But we hope in a short time to see you again.
We will rant and we'll roar like true British sailors,
We'll rant and we'll roar all on the salt sea.
Until we strike soundings in the channel of old England;
From Ushant to Scilly is thirty five leagues.

We hove our ship to with the wind from sou'west, boys
We hove our ship to, deep soundings to take;
'Twas forty-five fathoms, with a white sandy bottom,
So we squared our main yard and up channel did make.
We will rant and we'll roar like true British sailors,
We'll rant and we'll roar all on the salt sea.
Until we strike soundings in the channel of old England;
From Ushant to Scilly is thirty five leagues.

The first land we sighted was called the Dodman,
Next Rame Head off Plymouth, off Portsmouth the Wight;
We sailed by Beachy, by Fairlight and Dover,
And then we bore up for the South Foreland light.
We will rant and we'll roar like true British sailors,
We'll rant and we'll roar all on the salt sea.
Until we strike soundings in the channel of old England;
From Ushant to Scilly is thirty five leagues.

Then the signal was made for the grand fleet to anchor,
And all in the Downs that night for to lie;
Let go your shank painter, let go your cat stopper!
Haul up your clewgarnets, let tacks and sheets fly!
We will rant and we'll roar like true British sailors,
We'll rant and we'll roar all on the salt sea.
Until we strike soundings in the channel of old England;
From Ushant to Scilly is thirty five leagues
.

Now let ev'ry man drink off his full bumper,
And let ev'ry man drink off his full glass;
We'll drink and be jolly and drown melancholy,
And here's to the health of each true-hearted lass.
We will rant and we'll roar like true British sailors,
We'll rant and we'll roar all on the salt sea.
Until we strike soundings in the channel of old England;
From Ushant to Scilly is thirty five leagues
.

Here is the midi-file. I love the combination of geography and sailing jargon as the fleet sails up-Channel and anchors in the Downs.

(And no, I am not reading the O'Brian novels again. Well, okay, maybe the first. And maybe the second. But I'm reading other books in between. Starting them, anyway. Really. I swear!)

Posted by Robert at February 21, 2006 04:28 PM | TrackBack
Comments

You talk like reading the books again is a bad thing.

I just finished my third go-through about a month ago. Now working on my annual dose of Tolkien, and a bit of sci-fi, and then I'll probably hit the Hornblower series again before heading back to O'Brien.

But I'm not hooked. I can quit any time. Really I can.

Posted by: Russ at February 21, 2006 11:39 PM

Oh, and my bedtime reading? The Naval History of Great Britain.

OK, I'm a junkie.

Posted by: Russ at February 21, 2006 11:43 PM

I like Author Ransome's description of sailing down the English channel in Peter Duck with the lighthouses at night, each with its differently timed lights, the channel traffic, and the passing of familiar ports and towns.

Posted by: chuck at February 22, 2006 01:12 AM

So that's where Quint (Robert Shaw) got that little ditty he sang in "Jaws".

Posted by: Night Writer at February 22, 2006 10:22 AM