The Flying Cloud
1.
My name is Edward Holland
As you may understand
I belong to the county of Waterford
Near Eirings happy land
2.
When I was young and in my prime
And fortune on me smiled
My parents rared me tenderly
I being their only child
3.
My father bound me to a trade
In Waterford's own town
He bound me to a cooper there
By the name of William Brown
4.
I served my master faithfully
For eighteen months or more
Till I shipped aboard of the Ocean Queen
Bound down for Bermuda's shore
5.
When we arrived at Bermuda shore
I fell in with a Capting More.
The commander of the Flying Cloud
And belonging to Trymore.
6.
He questioned and cross questioned me
On a slaving voyage to go
To the burning shores of Africa
Where the sugar cane does grow.
7.
Now three or four weeks after this
We arrived at the African shore
And eighteen hundred of those poor souls
From their native land we bore.
8.
We would march them on our quarterdecks
And store them down below.
It was eighteen inches to a man;
It was what they had to go.
9.
We sailed away without delay
With our cargo of slaves.
It would been better for them poor souls
Had they been in their graves.
10.
The plaguey fever came aboard
Swept half of them away
We dragged their dead bodies on deck
And threw them in the sea.
11.
Now two or three weeks after this
We arrived at Bermuda shore
Where we sold them to the planters there
To be slaves for ever more.
12.
The rye and coffee fields to hoe
Beneath the burning sun
For to live a long and dreary life
'Till their career was run.
13.
Now when our slaving money was all gone
We put to sea again.
When Capting More he came on deck
And said to us his men.
14.
" There is gold and silver to be had
If you will agree with me.
We will hoist aloft pirate flag
And scour the raging sea. "
15.
Now they all agreed excepting five
And those we had to land.
Two of them being Boston boys,
Two more from Newfoundland.
16.
The other being an Irish man
Belonging to Trymore.
I wish to God I had joined those five
And went with them on shore.
17.
Now we robbed and plundered many the ship
Down on the Spanish Main
Caused many the widow and orphan child
In sorrow to remain.
18.
We would march them on their quarterdecks
Give them a watery grave
For the saying of that Capting More
That a dead man tells no tales.
19.
Now chased were we by many the ship
Both frigates and liners too.
It was all in vain astern of us
Their bomb shells they did throw.
20.
It was all in vain astern of us
Their cannons roared aloud.
It was all in vain for to ever try
For to catch the Flying Cloud.
21.
Now the Flying Cloud was a Spanish ship
Five thousand tons or more.
She would easily outsail any ship
Coming out of Baltimore.
22.
Her sails were as white as the driven snow
On them there were no stains.
With a forty-nine brass pounded gun
She would carry an after main.
23.
Now the Flying Cloud was as fine a ship
As ever swam the sea.
Or ever spread a main top sail
Before a pleasant breeze.
24.
Now often have I watched that ship
As she went sailing by
With her royal galyants spread aloft
Above the canvas high.
25.
Now a Spanish ship, the man of war
Her dungeon hove in view.
She fired a shot acrost our deck
As a signal to heave to.
26.
But to her we paid no attention
As before a pleasant breeze
Till a chance shot cut our mainmast down
We then soon fell behind.
27.
We cleared our decks for action
As she ranged up alongside.
And soon acrost our quarterdecks
There flowed a crimson tide.
28.
We fought till Capting More was slain
And eight of our men
Till a bombshell set our ship on fire
We were forced to surrender then.
29.
It's now to Newgate we are brought
Bound down in iron bands
For the murdering and plundering of many the ship
Down on the ocean strands.
30.
It's drinking and bad company
That's made a wretch of me.
Come all young men a warning take
Bid a curse to the pirate sea.
My name is Edward Holland
As you may understand
I belong to the county of Waterford
Near Eirings happy land
2.
When I was young and in my prime
And fortune on me smiled
My parents rared me tenderly
I being their only child
3.
My father bound me to a trade
In Waterford's own town
He bound me to a cooper there
By the name of William Brown
4.
I served my master faithfully
For eighteen months or more
Till I shipped aboard of the Ocean Queen
Bound down for Bermuda's shore
5.
When we arrived at Bermuda shore
I fell in with a Capting More.
The commander of the Flying Cloud
And belonging to Trymore.
6.
He questioned and cross questioned me
On a slaving voyage to go
To the burning shores of Africa
Where the sugar cane does grow.
7.
Now three or four weeks after this
We arrived at the African shore
And eighteen hundred of those poor souls
From their native land we bore.
8.
We would march them on our quarterdecks
And store them down below.
It was eighteen inches to a man;
It was what they had to go.
9.
We sailed away without delay
With our cargo of slaves.
It would been better for them poor souls
Had they been in their graves.
10.
The plaguey fever came aboard
Swept half of them away
We dragged their dead bodies on deck
And threw them in the sea.
11.
Now two or three weeks after this
We arrived at Bermuda shore
Where we sold them to the planters there
To be slaves for ever more.
12.
The rye and coffee fields to hoe
Beneath the burning sun
For to live a long and dreary life
'Till their career was run.
13.
Now when our slaving money was all gone
We put to sea again.
When Capting More he came on deck
And said to us his men.
14.
" There is gold and silver to be had
If you will agree with me.
We will hoist aloft pirate flag
And scour the raging sea. "
15.
Now they all agreed excepting five
And those we had to land.
Two of them being Boston boys,
Two more from Newfoundland.
16.
The other being an Irish man
Belonging to Trymore.
I wish to God I had joined those five
And went with them on shore.
17.
Now we robbed and plundered many the ship
Down on the Spanish Main
Caused many the widow and orphan child
In sorrow to remain.
18.
We would march them on their quarterdecks
Give them a watery grave
For the saying of that Capting More
That a dead man tells no tales.
19.
Now chased were we by many the ship
Both frigates and liners too.
It was all in vain astern of us
Their bomb shells they did throw.
20.
It was all in vain astern of us
Their cannons roared aloud.
It was all in vain for to ever try
For to catch the Flying Cloud.
21.
Now the Flying Cloud was a Spanish ship
Five thousand tons or more.
She would easily outsail any ship
Coming out of Baltimore.
22.
Her sails were as white as the driven snow
On them there were no stains.
With a forty-nine brass pounded gun
She would carry an after main.
23.
Now the Flying Cloud was as fine a ship
As ever swam the sea.
Or ever spread a main top sail
Before a pleasant breeze.
24.
Now often have I watched that ship
As she went sailing by
With her royal galyants spread aloft
Above the canvas high.
25.
Now a Spanish ship, the man of war
Her dungeon hove in view.
She fired a shot acrost our deck
As a signal to heave to.
26.
But to her we paid no attention
As before a pleasant breeze
Till a chance shot cut our mainmast down
We then soon fell behind.
27.
We cleared our decks for action
As she ranged up alongside.
And soon acrost our quarterdecks
There flowed a crimson tide.
28.
We fought till Capting More was slain
And eight of our men
Till a bombshell set our ship on fire
We were forced to surrender then.
29.
It's now to Newgate we are brought
Bound down in iron bands
For the murdering and plundering of many the ship
Down on the ocean strands.
30.
It's drinking and bad company
That's made a wretch of me.
Come all young men a warning take
Bid a curse to the pirate sea.
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