Nova Scotia Ballads Anonymous Collected by M. M. MacOdrum Encoded by Maria Bartlett Dalhousie University Archives Dalhousie University Archives Halifax, NS
6225 University Avenue PO Box 15000 Dalhousie University Halifax, Nova Scotia Canada B3H 4R2 URL:http://libraries.dal.ca/collection/archives.html
2014-11-14

Nova Scotia Ballads collected by M. M. MacOdrum is a manuscript of 217 typed pages held by the Dalhousie University Archives. (Acc. Number 26 - 75. Dal MS 2 234.)

See also: http://archive.org/stream/childreninwood00harviala/childreninwood00harviala_djvu.txt

 The Cedar Grove (1) It's of noble steamer, The Cedar Grove The Cedar Grove was a Canadian transport ship sailing from London, England in 1882. Carrying a cargo of Christmas goods, the ship unfortunately hit land, which led to the Cedar Grove's sinkage. by name, She crossed the briny ocean, From London city came. While steering forth one stormy night Too dark to see the land , By some miscalculations, On Canso she did strand. (2) The night was dark and stormy, The look-out at his post, The first he knew of dangers, Was breakers on the coast . The look-out wished to give them orders, But knew it not his place, The bugler it must be observed, Whatever be the case. (3) The sailor at the helm , He knew that he could tell. He knew they were too near the rocks , By the heaving of the swell. The orders then were given The engines to reverse, (4) Then straightway through the breakers, Our noble ship boomed on, Till at once an awful crash , Brought fear to everyone. Both engineers and fireman Were hard at work below And by their perserverance, Our ship did backward they go. (5) Soon she was deep in water. And then her fate was sealed. The waves began to wash her decks, And on her side she keeled. Her after cabins began to fill, And also down below. Likewise her aft aft archaic term for "toward the stern of a ship " compartments, And down our ship did go. (6) The saddest of my story, From you yet doth doth archaic term for "do" remain. We had a lady passenger, Miss Farrell was her name. For to visit some relation, In the city of Saint John , She ventured across the ocean , But not she's dead and gone. (7) A sailor said he saw her, In the cabin door stand by, He said it grieved him to the heart, To hear her wailing cry. He said he tried to console with her, And tell her she'd not be lost, But in another moment, On the billows , she was tossed (8) Our steward help her bravely, Out o'er o'er archaic term for "over" the ship's dark rail. He waited for the boats , To pull up against the gale. A giant wave swept over, Which did prevail his grip, And then the lady's tender form Went floating from the ship . (9) The same sea took our captain, And he was seen no more. Through heavy seas and darkness, The boats still lingered near. Two engineers were also lost, When the noble ship went down. Their bodies or the ladies, Have never yet been found. (10) And now the ill-fated Cedar Grove On the bottom she doth lie. To save the most of her cargo , The divers herd did try. A disfigured body Was carefully sent on, Our aged and honored captain , Who died while in command. (11) Our cargo was for Halifax From the city of St. John , And to the latter port my boys, This noble ship belonged. She was strongly built on the banks of Clyde , Five thousand tons or more, But her strength proved of no avail, On the rocks of Canso Shore .

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