The Oyster Schooner

By William Henry Drummond

W'at's  all dem bell a ringin' for, a can

  hear dem ev'ry w'ere?

W'at's bring de peop' togeder on de w'arf at

  Trois Rivieres,

Dat happy crowd is look so glad, w'y  are dey

  comin' dere?

O! de reason dey're so happy w'ile dey're

  waitin' dere to-day

Is becos de oyster schooner she's sailin' up de

  bay

An' de caraquette an' malpecque will quickly

  melt away

Affer she was  t'row de anchor on t'ree reever.

For w'y dey mak' de fuss lak dat, an' nearly

  broke deir neck,

Ain't dey got de noder oyster more better dan

  malpecque

Or caraquette, dat leetle wan from down be-

  low Kebeck?

Wall! ax de crowd dat question w'ile dey're

  waitin' dere to-day

So glad to see La Belle Marie sailin' up de bay,

An' dey 'll drown you on de water, so you 'll

  know about de way

She was t'rowin' out de anchor on T'ree

  Reever

Dere's  ole Joe Lachapelle, he's blin', can

  hardly see at all,

He's bring de man got wooden leg call Jimmie

  Sauriol,

An' bote dem feller jomp aroun' lak mooshrat

  on de fall,

For dey know de schooner 's comin', she's

  sailin' up de bay,

An' de reason she don't  hurry w'ile dey 're

  waitin' dere to-day,

Is becos she's full of oyster, will quickly pass

  away

W'en dat schooner t'row de anchor on T'ree

  Reever.

We've trottin' race las' winter, an' circus on

  de spring,

Wit' elephan' an' monkey too,  all playin' on

  de ring,

But beeger crowd she's  comin' now, for w'y?

  it 's differen' t'ing,

For dey 're waitin' on dat schooner, she's

  sailin' up de bay

Dey smell de malpecque oyster an' caraquette

  to-day

An' O!  ba gosh, dey 'll eat dem!  it's alway

  be de way

W'en dat schooner t'row de anchor on T'ree

  Reever.

"She's comin' in -she's comin' in," jus'lis-

  sen to de cry!

"Get out de line an' hol' her  fas', for fear

  she's  passin' by,

For if dere 's sometíng happen now, de peop'

  will surely die."

Affer waitin' on dat schooner, she 's sailin' up

  de bay

Lak de sparrow on de wood-pile watchin' all

  de day,

But dey got her safe enough now,  she 'll never

  sail away

Till dem oyster she was finish on T'ree Reever.

"All aboar'-comment câ va, Captinne Beli-

  veau?

We're glad to see you back again from Cara-

  quette below,

But we 're sorry you don't hurry, w'en you got

  such nice car-go."

So dey ketch dat oyster schooner she's sailin'

  up de bay,

Dey ketch her an' dey hol' her till de oyster 's

  gone away

An' she's two foot out de water La Belle

  Marie nex' day

Affer she was t row de anchor on T'ree Reever.