Come listen to me and you shall hear
A tale of long ago
When I was just a child-in-arms
‘Twas by my father told.
He was on the ice one day
With his brother and two more
When the wind shifted to the west
And drove the ice off shore.
They managed each to get a tow
And soon were homeward bent
To try to reach the inside ice
That was their full intent.
They knew the ice had left the shore
The wind blew from the land
But hope still lingered in the breast
Of each and every man.
Undaunted still they struggled on
Until - ‘tis sad to say -
They knew all hope had vanished
They were drifting out the bay.
With hope of rescue now all gone
The largest pan was found
To hold themselves and all their seals
While drifting o'er the ground.
The wind which though light at first
By now blew half a gale
And carried them away from land
Just like a boat with sail.
Imagine now then if you can
The thoughts of every man
For not one of the entire crew
Expected to reach the land.
They did not know they had been seen
By someone on the shore
Who went to look for succor
Twelve weary miles or more.
He travelled all along the shore
To try and bring them aid
And found in Catalina
Courageous men indeed.
The man that travelled up the shore
Those sealers' lives to save
Was Jobey Cole of Elliston
A man both true and brave.
To Little Catalina menfolk
He told the sealers' plight
Who knew the task before them
Was a hard one to fight.
But soon a boat was fitted out
And manned by seaman brave
To try to rescue those poor souls
Out on the ocean wave.
No cowardly soul was in that boat
Their lives and sealers too
Were in the hands of God above
So thought each of the crew.
A gale of wind was blowing
The sea was getting rough
To try to reach those weary men
They found the going tough.
With all their strength they pushed her
through, until they reached the pan
And there received with joyful shouts
The hand of every man.
Sandy Johnson was the skipper
(I do not know the crew)
But each and every man of them
Was loyal, brave and true.
While homeward bout the sealers told
Those brave men of their plight
How once the pan they had just left
Went to pieces in their sight.
They had no thought of rescue
But when they saw the boat
Come from the land toward them
Their hearts were filled with hope.
There was no motor in this boat.
To aid them in their plight
They only had the brawny arms
Of men with oars to fight.
Half frozen were those sealers
Before they reached the shore
Wet through with spray that came aboard
Though some did man the oar.
Sometimes no headway could they make
The wind being not yet o'ver
But after many weary hours
At last they reached the shore.
Happy were those sealers then
Their families soon to see
The places they belonged to
Were the Neck and Maberly.
We cannot praise too highly
The courage of this crew.
Who gave their all at duty's call
The best that man can do.
Long may they be remembered
Long may this writing stand
A tribute to a gallant crew
That brought those men to land.