VICTORIAN OLD COLONISTS' SONG, 1888.

Otago Witness, Issue 1893, 2 March 1888, Page 29

VICTORIAN OLD COLONISTS' SONG, 1888.

The silver surge of the summer seas On the silver sands was playing As a barque sail'd on before the breeze, Old England's flag displaying. Under the heavens that none excel, A cloudless sapphire covering ; The seagulls rose and the seagulls fell, O'er the heaving waters hovering. On the coastline gloom'd with the ti-trees dark Was never a cot appearing, Nor the sign of a man, as our white-winged barque Our future home was nearing. We recall'd the scene when the last adieu 1 And the last fond gaze wa» over, And the sun shone forth for our final view Of the dear old town of Dover. We had come through the Bay o£ Biscay's roar From a peopled land to a lone land, From a bright seashore to a sad seashore, And breath'd ft sigh for our own land. And we said, " Ere long with our fortunes made To our island home returning, We'll end our days where our boyhood play d By the Yule-fires brightly burning. Bufc the years they came and the years they fled, And they gave us sons and daughters ; And affection soon for the land was bred, And we cross'd not o'er the waters. And some are wealthy and some are not, And poorer than when they started, And iume are remember'd and come forgot, And mauy with life have parted. And the land bo lone when we first came here It is no more a lone land— With the children of sons and daughters dear, We call it now our own land. — H, Charms J. Lingham. February 1888.