| lyric | Come all you gallant peachers that ramble void of care
That walk out on a moonlight night with your dog and gun and snare;
The hare and lofty pheasant you have at your command
Not thinking of your last career upon Van Dieman’s Land.
Poor Thomas Brown from Nenagh town, jack Murphy and poor Joe
Were three determined poachers as the country well does know.
By the keepers of the land, my boys, one night we were trepanned
And for fourteen years transported unto Van Dieman’s Land.
The first day that we landed upon that fatal shore
The planters came around us, and we might be twenty score.
They ranked us off like horses and they sold us out of hand
And they yoked us to the plough, brave boys, to plough Van Dieman’s Land.
The cottages we live in here are built with sods of clay.
We have rotten straw for bedding, but we dare not say them nay.
Our cots we fence with firing and slumber when we can
To keep the wolves and dogs from us in Van Dieman’s Land.
Oft times when I do slumber I have a pleasant dream
With my sweet girl sitting close to me near a purling stream;
I am roaming through old Ireland with my true love by the hand -
But waken broken—hearted upon Van Dieman’s Land.
God bless our wives and families, likewise that happy shore,
That isle of sweet contentment which we shall see no more.
As for wretched females see them we seldom can
There are twenty men for one woman in Van Dieman’s Land.
There was a girl from Nenagh town, Peg Brophy was her name,
For fourteen years transported was we all well knew the same;
But the planter bought her freedom and married her out of hand,
And she gives us good usage upon Van Dieman’ 5 Land.
But fourteen years is a long time, and that is our fatal doom -
For nothing else but poaching, for that is all we done:
You would leave off both dog and gun and poaching every man
If you but knew the hardship that’s in Van Dieman’s Land.
Oh, if I had a thousand pounds all laid out in my hand
I’d give it all for liberty if that I could command,
Again to Ireland I’d return and be a happy man
And bid adieu to poaching and to Van Dieman’s Land. |