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The noble fleet of whalers went sailing from Dundee,
Well-manned by British sailors to work upon the sea,
On the western ocean voyage none with them can compare,
But the smartest ship to make the trip's Balaena I declare.
Oh, the wind is on her quarter, her engine's working free,
There's not another whaler that sails out of Dundee
Can beat the old Balaena, she needs no trial run,
And we challenged all both great and small from Dundee to St.John.
It happened on a Tuesday three days out of Dundee
The wind took off her quarter boat, and a couple of men you see,
It battered at her our bulwarks, her stanchions and her rails,
And left the old Balaena a-frothing in the gale.
Bold Jackman gave her canvas and fairly gave her steam
And Captain Guy in Erin Boy, was a-ploughing through the stream,
And the noble Terra Nova, her boilers nearly burst,
But still at the old whaling grounds, Balaena got there first.
And now the season's over, our ship half full of oil,
The flying jib boom points to home, towards our native soil,
And when that we have landed where the rum is very cheap,
We'll drink success to the skipper, for gettin' us over the deep.
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