First line 'You have read of the wreck of the London, and the captain, too, as well'

You have read of the wreck of the London, and the captain, too, as well,
Those two ill fated vessels, which sorrowful to tell,
But the Northfleet lay off Dungenness, at anchor, safe and sound,
With 412c souls on board, to New Zealand they were bound!
The flower of England's country that toil with the spade
Were these poor immigrants. at least so I've heard said,
To cut the new Tasmania line, it was their good intent,
When they by a foreign steamer, to a watery grave were sent.

I now will say a word, how this accident occurred
If so I could but call it, but that would be absurd,
For what had these poor immigrants, to that foreign captain done,
That he should reverse his engines, and so quickly from them run;
And to cover up his figurehead in such a cunning way,
Proves unto you, as now I tell, there must have been foul play,
When assistance was so close to them, so very close at hand,
To bring these poor souls on board, to a safe retreat on land.

What must have been the feelings of the passengers and crew
When they saw that foreign steamer pass so quickly from their view;
But the Captain of the Northfleet, like a British sailor stood,
After he had consigned his wife, to a boatswain brave and good,
Right nobly the captain try his duty to perform
While struggling with the surging mass, with voice above the storm,
To keep the men back from the boats, the females for to save,
But fearful must have been their doom, oh! in that watery grave.

Yet sad as what this accident, yet sadder was it still,
When all their signal failed to bring assistance with good will,
Surrounded too, by vessels, as they in the roads did lie
And knowing, as we well do know, they the rockets did espy;
Let as (sic) hope that this will bring to light, some better way or plan,
For rendering assistance, to our fellow countryman,
So that we can, in time of need, bring them back safe to shore,
And prove unto our sailors, there are better days in store.