Story of the diaster
From Inverness the Comet sail'd,
With passengers and crew,
Their destination was the Clyde,
Which they soon hop'd to view
From isle to isle they quickly trip,
Some persons to receive,
And all is life on board the ship,
None dread a watery grave.
The number now on board the ship,
Was seventy souls and more,
Besides a Captain and his wife,
Who wed some days before
Likewise some men of noble fame,
And children not a few,
With others whom we do not name,
Compos'd the whole ship's crew.
The music plays, the parties dance,.
While they do coast the shore,
Ne'er dreading fate's unlucky chance,
Nor joys they'd ne'er see more;
But thinking all their danger past, ,
They proudly pass; along,
And merry still, the dance at last,
Is alter'd to a song.
In midst of all their merry joys,-
Its Gourock now appears-, -
Near one o'clock the moon went. down,
And black black were the seas ;
In a few minutes after that,
A dreadful crack was heard,
The whole then to the deck ran fast,
And some jump'd overboard.
The Ayr steam-boat had struck her fair,
Some place below the bow,
She scarce two minutes had to spare;
Before she was laid low ;
The whole onboard down with her went,
Amidst deep cries of woe,.
And out of the whole number,
Ten sav'd is all we know.
A Captain and his new made wife,
Were lock'd in other's arms,
A woman also seiz'd a trunk',
And held it with her arms;
She cried with deep emotion,
When she arriv'd on shore,
Alas! alas! my lovely babes,
I'll never see you more.
The males did shout. females did cry,
When plunged in the deep,
Their lamentation reach'd the sky,
And those now sav'd do weep ;
For some do mourn their tender babes
Some for their husbands do,
And brothers for lost sisters,
And sisters, brothers too.