In this one he is remembering a sailing trip he took with some teenage friends down the Brisbane River.
My cousin Helen Butler found this 1906 map of the Brisbane River showing the location of Parker Island. In 2015 Parker Island is no longer on maps of the Brisbane River
It happened way back in 1881
We were on a sailing cruise
A crew of five, all in their teens
We hadn't had any booze
The skipper was the oldest
Was related to an Earl
At handling open sailing skiffs
No doubt he was a pearl
We landed at a quarry
And when we got ashore
There was water at a deserted shack
And lemons there galore
We filled a bag with lemons
And with water filled two buckets up
Went across to Parker Island
Where we'd made up our minds to sleep.
We were greeted by the pelicans
They strutted in their walk
One of the crew said "I wonder what
These birds would say if they could talk"
They appeared to be quite friendly
Their pitch we didn't queer
Altho' we were only lads
We didn't interfere
Then we boiled the water
And without a woman's aid
Cut all the lemons up
And made some lemonade
We opened up the tucker box
And drank and ate our fill
?? might well give a ??
Before they passed their bill.
The wind was freshly blowing
When we hoisted up the sail
It came and went in heavy gusts
But nothing like a gale
When we got into mid stream
There was a sudden puff
He tried best to get her around
But ?? was slow stuff.
The wind was freshly blowing
When we hoisted up the sail
It came and went in heavy gusts
But nothing like a gale
When we got into mid stream
There was a sudden puff
He tried best to get her around
But ?? was slow stuff.
??? Unfortunately no matter how hard we try we can't read his writing in very,very faint pencil.
I'm not sure that this would win a literary prize but I felt it was interesting to know he and his young friends sailed down the river and camped. Making lemonade without a woman's aid must have been a feat for them then. Too bad we can't make out the missing words. Do you try to guess what he might have written? I didn't have his logic so can't think what he might have put in the ?? spaces. Anyone else hazard a guess?
I'm not sure that this would win a literary prize but I felt it was interesting to know he and his young friends sailed down the river and camped. Making lemonade without a woman's aid must have been a feat for them then. Too bad we can't make out the missing words. Do you try to guess what he might have written? I didn't have his logic so can't think what he might have put in the ?? spaces. Anyone else hazard a guess?
Judy, a challenge indeed to find out what the uncertain words might be. Happy to discuss and toss some ideas around. Great tip on prev GSQ blog post for reading difficult writing - pop the document or a photocopy/printout of it (getting a legible copy might be a bit tough given the faint pencil, I admit) on your fridge door. Looking at it a number of times each day and often when you're thinking non-genie things, may just given brain/eyes a different perspective. All the best w/ this challenge and thanks for sharing.
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