{
 "id": "james-mcintyre/sailors-yarn",
 "title": "Sailor’s Yarn",
 "ordinal": null,
 "subtitle": null,
 "poet": "James McIntyre",
 "poet_slug": "james-mcintyre",
 "language": "en",
 "book": "Poems of James McIntyre",
 "book_slug": "poems-of-james-mcintyre",
 "book_kind": "volume",
 "sequence": 32,
 "container": null,
 "epigraph": null,
 "first_published": {
  "year": 1889,
  "venue": "Poems of James McIntyre (1889)",
  "note": "First located printing is this volume; an earlier periodical printing has not been established.",
  "uncertain": false,
  "sources": [
   "https://archive.org/details/cihm_11791"
  ]
 },
 "source": {
  "kind": "standard-ebooks",
  "repo": "standardebooks/james-mcintyre_poetry",
  "file": "poetry.xhtml",
  "upstream": [
   "https://archive.org/details/cihm_09542",
   "https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/36068",
   "https://archive.org/details/cihm_11791"
  ],
  "rights": "public domain (SE dedication; underlying text pre-1931)"
 },
 "verification": {
  "level": "structural-only",
  "last_checked": "2026-08-20"
 },
 "stats": {
  "n_lines": 54,
  "n_stanzas": 1,
  "n_parts": 0,
  "longest_line_chars": 41,
  "max_indent": 0
 },
 "site_ready": true,
 "parts": [],
 "stanzas": [
  [
   {
    "text": "While voyaging on northern seas",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "For days we could not catch a breeze,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "But were held fast as if in vice",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Surrounded by the bergs of ice,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "We could not move the ship or boat",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "But on low, flat iceberg we did float;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Of provisions we took good store",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "With big oars we rowed the berg to shore,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And pride and joy each one feels",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "When we had caught ten thousand seals,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And our brave boys each one they dare",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "To boldly capture great white bear;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "On floating berg we built with boards",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "A storehouse for to hold our hordes,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "We had a stove and stock of coal,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "So we enjoyed this voyage droll,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "In centre of berg we dug a hole",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And erected a strong pole,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "The frost and ice soon held it fast",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And well it served us for a mast,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "On which we stretched out our sails",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And scud along before the gales,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Until we came to an island",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And on its sides it seemed highland,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And Britain being queen of seas,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "For her this island we did seize,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "To give her new coaling station",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "For to benefit the nation,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "So when we had sailed landward",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "We erected British standard",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "On the highest mountain top,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Which graceful down to sea did slope,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "We cast our anchor in its side",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "So to explore it far and wide,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "But what was our astonishment",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Without the least admonishment,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Our island soon away did float",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "As if it was a mighty boat.",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Can you believe this wondrous tale?",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "It proved to be a monster whale,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And o’er the ocean quick it flew",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "With our great iceberg and our crew,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Until it came to Newfoundland,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Where all did safe on the ground land;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Poor whale was stranded on the beach",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And his sea home no more could reach,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Our crew in great wealth each on shares,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "By selling whale and seals and bears,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "We hired steam tug to reach our ship,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Now free from ice we had quick trip,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And she being loaded down with seal,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And we all shared in common weal,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "For joy each of us had reason,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Making two trips in one season.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ]
 ]
}