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THE OCEAN QUEEN

I found this song in Helen Creighton's book, Songs & Ballads from Nova Scotia. Ms. Creighton collected it from Mr. Ben Henneberry of Devil's Island whose story was that "this boat was so exeptionally fine that nine captains sailed in her as crew, going from Gloucester to the Banks of Georges off Cape Sable, from which they were never heard of again." It's a curious song in that the Ocean Queen herself is not mentioned until the end of the fourth verse and almost no detail is offered about the disaster. What I was drawn to was the description of the ship that the song's narrator is on and the marvelous phrases "where ice congeals like mountains" and "as we go off a-spouting just like a frightened whale"

LYRICS: THE OCEAN QUEEN Was in the winter season, all in the frost and snow We leave our noble harbour and down to Georges go Where winds do loudly whistle, blow heavy on our sail As we go off a-spouting just like a frightened whale Our sails are always good and strong, made of the best of duck Our rigging is manila and rove through patent block Our vessel built of white oak and finished with great taste To ride the heavy norther gale and stand the winter's test

And on the banks of Georges no tongue can e'er describe
The roughness of the weather, the swiftness of the tide
Where ice congeals like mountains and heavy winds do blow
And we poor sons of Neptune great hardships must go through

Hail, rain and thunder, and breakers on each side But yet our noble vessel majestically do ride But hark one moment, listen, for what I say is true The Ocean Queen is missing, and have drowned all her crew Nine there were in number, all in the prime of life Commanded by a captain who leaves a tender wife One fortnight whey were married; from her he did depart And now she's left a widow with a sad and broken heart It's true she's not the only one who's left alone to weep There's fathers, sons and brothers that drowned in the deep But I hope God will reward her for we know the grief she feeled There is a balm of Gilead that every wound can heal