THE GIGANTIC
by Patricia Ennis-Burke
The Gigantic, composed in 1917 by William Best of Merasheen, was given to me by Mrs. Rose Bruce of Mt. Arlington Heights. She discovered the copy in one of her late husband's books and realized 'that William Best was a relative of mine. Thinking that Uncle Billy, although a fine singer, was not a composer, I attempted to find out how this William Best fitted into my lineage. I discovered that my cousin, Anita Best, had also been given a copy of the song by Mary Best Butler, her father's aunt, and sister of the composer, William Best. Apparently this song has undergone various textual changes as it was passed from singer to singer and from community to community. This is version is one penned by Michael Bruce, brother-in-law to the crew member Thomas Whiffen mentioned in the song.
THE GIGANTIC
As we left Harbour Buffet I am sure all hands incline
The wind sprang up about E.NE we had a splendid time
In under foresail and two jibs, Red Island we did round
Sailing out through Placentia Bay for Oporto we were bound.
About eight o'clock on that same night a light it did appear
Cape St. Mary's on a beam SE from us did bear
We ran her out around The Keys our sails and sheets we bound
And we steered across about S by E expecting to veer down.
It was early the next morning Cape Pine it did appear
The light did bear about E.NE and S by E we steered
We set our storm sail on the mast and that was done quite well
We changed the watch at eight o'clock. The time it struck eight bells.
We set the log at ten o'clock and slacked it back astern
And ran her off across the sea ‘til early the next morn
We pulled the log eleven o'clock the course was given then
81 was on the log, we swung her off again.
SE by E was our main course but S by E she lay
Owning to the weather and according to the sea
We ran her off for ten long hours; the wind was on a veer
Our Captain says to haul her in SE by E to steer.
Running off SE by E the gale it did come on
Our Captain says all hands on deck and that before too long
We lowered our stay sails from the mast four of our jolly crew
Reef foresail and reef storm sail we hove our vessel to.
It was on October 24 as you may understand
We shortened sail and hove her to 300 miles from land
That night being dark and dreary a hard night we did spend
A sea rolled down on our life boat and split her end to end.
The 24 hours that we lay to in the west edge of Gulf Stream
The wind and sea they were sent forth like we had never seen
Four sailor boys to stand the deck all that night and live long day
At six o'clock on Saturday we ran before the sea.
From eight to four we did go round the lanyards we did view
That is a job that must be done when a vessel is hove to
To serve the lines and keep her pumped as you may understand
300 jogs unto an hour far off from Newfoundland.
On the last day of October we hove her to again
In under a two reef foresail this hard night did spend
With a knot all in her storm sail and a reef put in likewise
To stand the deck that live long night with saltwater in our eyes.
From 8 to 12 our watch came on as you may plainly see
It would bring on tears to weep to look upon the sea
To see those waves were rolling down we could do nothing more
We hove her off on Thursday night far off from a foreign shore.
And now the storm is over and is coming to an end
We'll never forget the 31st the hard time we did spend
Down in the North Atlantic these raging seas to fight
And us young boys will never forget the seas rolled down that night.
Next morning we lay in the calm a whistle we did hear
We took the tug made fast our line for land sure we did steer
For 23 days we were out upon the ocean deep
We furled her sails and washed her down and got a nap of sleep.
It was five miles up the river our load we did discharge
One half our fish was small; the other half was large
We took on board our load of salt on San Antonio's Strand
And in good health all sails were set bound home for Newfoundland.
Six men composed the vessel's crew their names I will pen down
Captain Thomas Edgecomb from Catalina town
And William Edgecomb he was Mate a smart young man he being
And William Best from Placentia Bay hailing from Merasheen.
Wilson Hollett was our steward's name from Buffet do belong
And Thomas Whiffen from the Rams, I'll have him in my song
And William Barry from Port Royal made up the vessel's crew
As we shipped on board the Gigantic to sail across the blue.