We saw our morning visitor was a British man-of-war.
Up spake our noble Captain then, as a shot ahead of us past—
“Haul snug your flowing courses! lay your topsail to the mast!”
Those Englishmen gave three loud hurrahs from the deck of their covered ark
And we answered back by a solid broadside from the decks of our patriot bark.
“Out booms! out booms!” our skipper cried, “out booms and give her sheet,”
And the swiftest keel that was ever launched shot ahead of the British fleet,
And amidst a thundering shower of shot, with stun’sails hoisting away,
Down the North Channel Paul Jones did steer just at the break of day.