Composer: Traditional
Lyric Author: Traditional
Published: 19th Century
Country of origin: United States/England
General Interest
The words are proven to date at least as early as the 19th century, however the melody’s provenance is unknown. The song describes a whaling ship leaving its hunting grounds in the Northern Pacific, returning to its supply base in the Hawaiian archipelago.
A “stuns’l” is an extra sail used in low winds.
The tune strongly resembles that of a popular English 18th-century song "Miller of Dee" and could be derived from it.
Here's a link to the Lyric:
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