The " Coast of High Barbary " is a traditional song ( Roud 134) which was popular among British and American sailors. It is most frequently sung as a ballad but can also be a sea shanty . It tells of a sailing ship that came across a pirate ship off the Barbary Coast and defeated the pirates , who were left to drown.
4-673: An earlier version of the ballad is found in the Stationers’ Register for January 14, 1595 and tells the story of two merchant ships, the George Aloe and the Sweepstake , both sailing to Safee . While the George Aloe was resting at anchor, the Sweepstake sailed on, but a French ship attacked the Sweepstake and threw the crew overboard. The George Aloe gave chase and defeated the French ship, whose crew were shown no mercy because of
8-540: The Sweepstake went ahead. and, after an exchange of hails, was taken by a French man-o-war . The George Aloe received the news, followed, exchanged the same hails, and defeated the ship. The American variant The Coast of High Barbaree includes only one ship, which exchanges hails with a Barbary pirate and defeats it, as the George Aloe does with the French ship. This folk song –related article
12-457: The Sweepstake is Child ballad 285. In 1595, a ballad was entered into the Stationers' Register with the note that it was to be sung to the tune of The George Aloe and the Sweepstake. The ballad tells of the battles with a pirate ship. Several variations of the ballad exist. The George Aloe and the Sweepstake were merchant ships bound for Safee. The George Aloe took anchor, while
16-621: The fate of the crew of the Sweepstake. The most common lyrics may refer to the problems European and North American traders had with the North African pirates in the second half of the 18th century and the early 19th century, which led to the Barbary Wars . This song-related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . The George Aloe and the Sweepstake The George Aloe and
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