On the fifteenth of February we sailed from the land
On the bold Princess Royal bound for Newfoundland
We had fifty brave seamen for ship’s company
As bound from the East, boys, to the Westward sailed we

Well, we had not been sailing scarce days two or three
When a man from our masthead strange sails he did see
She come bearing down on us for to see what we were
And under his mizzen black colors he wore

"Oh Lord!" cried our captain, "What shall we do now?
Here comes a bold pirate to rob us, I know."
"Oh no!" cried our chief mate, "That ne'er shall be so
We will let out our reef, boys, and from her we’ll go."

Up comes this bold pirate and he hove alongside
With a loud-speaking trumpet, “Whence come you?” he cried
Our captain being up, me boys, and he answered him so:
“We've come from fair London and we're bound for Peru.”

“Come heave up your course sails and bring your ship through
I have a long letter to send home by you.”
“I will not heave my course sails nor bring my ship through
It will be in some harbor, not alongside of you.”

Well, he chased us to windward through all that long day
He fired shots after but none made no way
He fired shots after us but none could prevail
And the bold Princess Royal soon showed them her tail
“Good Lord!” cried our captain, “Now the pirate is gone
Go you down to your grog, boys, go down, everyone
Go you down to your grog, me boys, and be of good cheer
While the bold Princess has sea-room, brave boys, never fear."