sacred.' He further says that he never heard any variation
from the words which he gives.

I think he is right about the absence of improvization on extraneous
topics, but I used to hear a good deal of improvization on the subject
of Ranzo himself. I knew at least three endings of the story: (1)
where the captain took him into the cabin, 'larned him navigation,'
and eventually married him to his daughter; (2) where Ranzo's hatred
of ablutions caused the indignant crew to throw him overboard; (3)
where the story ended with the lashes received, not for his dirty
habits, but for a theft:

'We gave him lashes thirty
For stealin' the captain's turkey.'

I have also heard many extemporaneous verses relating his adventures
among the denizens of the deep after he was thrown overboard.

23. THE DEAD HORSE

This shanty was used both for hauling and for pumping ship. It seems
to have had its origin in a rite which took place after the crew had
'worked off the dead horse.' The circumstances were these: Before any
voyage, the crew received a month's pay in advance, which, needless to
say, was spent ashore before the vessel sailed. Jack's first month on
sea was therefore spent in clearing off his advance, which he called
working off the dead horse. The end of that payless period was
celebrated with a solemn ceremony: a mass of straw, or whatever other
combustibles were to hand, was made up into a big bundle, which
sometimes did, and more often did not, resemble a horse. This was
dragged round the deck by all hands, the shanty being sung meanwhile.
The perambulation completed, the dead horse was lighted and hauled up,
usually to the main-yardarm, and when the flames had got a good hold,
the rope was cut and the blazing mass fell into the sea, amid shouts
of jubilation.

24. TOM'S GONE TO HILO

This beautiful tune was very popular. I have chosen the version sung
to me by Mr. George Vickers, although in the first chorus it differs
somewhat from the version I learnt as a boy:

[Music illustration: Away down Hilo etc.]

It will be seen how closely the above resembles the version given by
Whall on page 74. (It will be noted that he entitled it '_John's_ gone
to Hilo.') I give Mr. Vickers's verses about 'The Victory' and
'Trafalgar,' as I had never heard them sung by any other seaman. I
have omitted the endless couplets containing the names of places to
which Tommy is supposed to have travelled. As Capt. Whall sa