The Undutiful Daughter- Baring-Gould B (Dartmoor) 1890; Bonnie Annie Child C b
[The note says, "The Rev. S. Baring-Gould has recently found this ballad in South Devon." The title in Baring-Gould is given as The Undutiful Daughter. It was collected from Roger Hannaford, Devon; Widdecombe and dated 1890, the same date as Child's edition. Baring Gould B is a fragment which can be made whole by adding C b. to version C a. Stanza 5 is missing on Baring-Gould A and he has supplied the missing verse. Here's a copy of the original manuscript of B:]
The Undutiful Daughter- Baring-Gould B; Bonnie Annie- Child C b.
From a young man at Dartmoor [Roger Hannaford]
1 There was a sea-captain came to the seaside, O,
He courted a damsel and got her in trouble.
'O take of your father his gold and his treasure,
take of your mother her fee without measure.'
2 'I'll take of my father his gold and his treasure,
I'll take of my mother her fee without measure:'
She has come with the captain unto the seaside, O,
'We'll sail to lands foreign upon the blue tide, O!'
3 And when she had sailed today and tomorrow,
She was beating her hands, she was crying in sorrow;
And when she had sailed the days were not many,
The sails were outspread, but of miles made not any.
4 And when she had sailed today and tomorrow,
She was beating her hands, she was crying in sorrow;
And when she had sailed not many a mile, O,
The maid was delivered of a beautiful child, O.
5 [They cast the black bullets as they sailed on the water;
The black bullet fell on the undutiful daughter.
Now who in the ship must go over the side, O!
O none save the maiden, the fair captain's bride O!]
6 'O take a white napkin, about my head bind it!
O take a white napkin, about my feet wind it!
Alack! I must sink, both me and my baby,
Alack! I must sink in the deep salten water.
7 'O captain, O captain, here's fifty gold crown, O,
I pray thee to bear me and turn the ship round, O;
O captain, O captain, here's fifty gold pound, O,
If thou wilt but set me upon the green ground, O.'
8 'O never, O never! the wind it blows stronger,
O never, O never! the time it grows longer;
And better it were that thy baby and thou, O,
Should drown than the crew of the vessel, I vow, O.'
9 'O get me a boat that is narrow and thin, O,
And set me and my little baby therein, O:'
'O no, it were better that thy baby and thou, O,
Should drown than the crew of the vessel, I vow, O.'
10 They got a white napkin, about her head bound it,
They got a white napkin, about her feet wound it;
They cast her then overboard, baby and she, O,
Together to sink in the cruel salt sea, O.
11 The moon it was shining, the tide it was running;
O what in the wake of the vessel was swimming?
'O see, boys! O see how she floats on the water!
O see, boys! O see! the undutiful daughter!
12 'Why swim in the moonlight, upon the sea swaying?
what art thou seeking? for what art thou praying?'
'O captain, O captain, I float on the water;
For the sea giveth up the undutiful daughter.
13 'O take of my father the gold and the treasure,
O take of my mother her fee without measure;
O make me a coffin of the deepest stoll yellow,
And bury me under the banks of green willow!'
14 'I will make thee a coffin of gold that is yellow,
I'll bury thee under the banks of green willow;
I'll bury thee there as becometh a lady,
I'll bury thee there, both thou and thy baby.'
15 The sails they were spread, and the wind it was blowing,
The sea was so salt, and the tide it was flowing;
They steered for the land, and they reachd the shore, O,
But the mother and baby had got there before, O.
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Excerpt: A Book of Folklore by S. Baring-Gould (1913) - Page 105
That the lot was used to determine a sacrifice we know from the story of Jonah. When the storm fell on the ship the sailors "said every one to his fellow, Come, and let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this evil is upon us. So, they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Jonah."
In very much--indeed in exactly the same way--it is determined who is to be thrown overboard in an old English ballad still sung by our peasantry:--
'Twas of a sea-captain came o'er the salt billow
He courted a maiden, down by the green willow.
"O take of your father his gold and his treasure!
O take of your mother her fee without measure."
The damsel robs her parents, and flies with the sea captain in his vessel.
And when she had sailed today and tomorrow,
She was wringing her hands, she was crying in sorrow.
And when she had sailed, the days were not many,
The sails were outspread, but of miles made not any.
They cast the black bullets as they sailed on the water;
The black bullet fell on the undutiful daughter.
Now who in the ship must go over the side, O!
O none save the maiden, the fair captain's bride O!
So the undutiful daughter is thrown overboard.