therefore accepted as
authoritative, however misleading it may be. Many highly educated men,
of whom Captain Whall is the type, have followed the sea. It is from
them that the only really trustworthy information is forthcoming. But
so far as I can judge, it is uneducated men who appear to sing to
collectors nowadays, and I have seen many a quiet smile on the lips of
the educated sailor when he is confronted with printed versions of the
uneducated seaman's performances. For example, one of the best known
of all shanties is 'The Hog's-eye man'; I have seen this entitled 'The
Hog-eyed man,' and even 'The Ox-eyed man.' Every old sailor knew the
meaning of the term. Whall and Bullen, who were both sailors, use the
correct expression, 'Hog-eye.' The majority of sailors of my
acquaintance called it 'Hog's-eye.' Did decency permit I could show
conclusively how Whall and Bullen are right and the mere collector
wrong. It must suffice, however, for me to say that the term
'Hog's-eye' or 'Hog-eye' had nothing whatever to do with the optic of
the 'man' who was sung about. I could multiply instances, but this one
is typical and must suffice.

We hear a great deal of the coarseness and even lewdness of the
shanty, but I could wish a little more stress were laid on the
sailor's natural delicacy. Jack was always a gentleman in feeling.
Granted his drinking, cursing, and amours--but were not these, until
Victorian times, the hall-mark of every gentleman ashore? The
Rabelaisian jokes of the shantyman were solos, the sound of which
would not travel far beyond the little knot of workers who chuckled
over them. The choruses--shouted out by the whole working party--would
be heard all over the ship and even penetrate ashore if she were in
port. Hence, in not a single instance do the choruses of any shanty
contain a coarse expression.

EDITORIAL METHODS

As regards the tunes, I have adhered to the principle of giving each
one as it was sung by some individual singer. This method has not been
applied to the words. Consequently the verses of any given shanty may
have derived from any number of singers. Since there was no connection
or relevancy between the different verses of a shanty, the only
principle I have adhered to is that whatever verses are set down
should have been sung to me at some time or other by some sailor or
other.

Of course I have had to camouflage many unprintable expressions, and
old sailors will readily recognize wh