The Flemings of Torbay

Lyrics

The thrilling news we heard last weekis in our memories yet,Two fishermen from Newfoundlandsaved from the jaws of death;Two fine young men born in Torbaywho went adrift at sea,On the eighteenth day of Aprilfrom the schooner Jubilee.They left to prosecute their voyagenear the Grand Banks' stormy shore,Where many's the hardy fishermanwas never heard of more;For six long days in storms at seathose hardy fellows stood,Fatigued, footsore, and hungry,no water or no food.Tossed on the seas ail those long dayswhile bitter was each night,No friend to speak a kindly word,no sail to heave in sight;At last a vessel hove in sightand saw the floating speck,The Jessie Maurice was her name,coal laden from Quebec.Our wheelsman well-trained he espiedclear through the misty haze,Those poor exhausted fishermenadrift so many days;Our captain, a kindhearted man,had just come on the deck,Then orders gave to hard aportand shaped her for the wreck.Two hours or more while the winds did roarthe Jessie sailed around,To see if any tidings ofthe dory could be found;The crew was stationed on the bowall anxious her to hail,When the captain spied her inthe fog just aft the water rail.Our brave commander right awaythe order gave to launch,The jolly boats that hung asternof good old oak so staunch;Two brave old seamen manned the oarsand at the word to go,The captain standing in the bowto take the boat in tow.The captain gripped the painter forto bring her to the barque,While those on board were still as death,their features cold and dark;A sling was then made fast belowin which those men to place,While tender-hearted marinersthey worked with noble faith.No sign of life was in those menas they were placed in bed,But still our captain held out hopethe vital spark not fled;He watched for days and sleepless nightsto bring those men around,And on the second day discernedbut just a feeble sound.The first to speak was Peter,the eldest of the two,He told the captain who they were,a part of the Jubilee's crew;And how in April on the Banksthey chanced to drift astray,And lay exposed in an open boatfor six long stormy days.Our captain then our stuns'l setand shaped her for Quebec,He took on board the doryand all left of the wreck;He watched those men with a mother's carewhile in their berth they lay,And saved the lives of two poor boysonce more to see Torbay.God bless the Jessie's gallant crew,likewise their captain bold,Their names should be recordedinto letters of bright gold;And send them peace and happinessin every port they lay,The plucky boys that saved the lifeof the Flemings of Torbay.