Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, FEMALE TRANSPORT, by ANONYMOUS


Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

FEMALE TRANSPORT, by                    
First Line: "come all young girls, both far and near, and listen unto me"
Last Line: For fear like us you spend your days upon dieman's shore
Subject(s): Crimes & Criminals;girls;judges;trials


Come all young girls, both far and near, and listen unto me,
While unto you I do unfold what proved my destiny,
My mother died when I was young, it caused me to deplore,
And I did get my way too soon upon my native shore.

Sarah Collins is my name, most dreadful is my fate,
My father reared me tenderly, the truth I do relate,
Till enticed by bad company, along with many more,
It led to my discovery, upon my native shore.

My trial it approached fast, before the Judge I stood,
And when the Judge sentence pass'd it fairly chill'd my blood,
Crying you must be transported for fourteen years or more,
And go hence, across the seas, unto Van Dieman's shore.

It hurt my heart when on a coach my native town pass'd by,
To see so many I did know, it made me heave a sigh,
Then to a ship was sent with speed, along with many more,
Whose aching hearts did grieve to go unto Van Dieman's shore.

* * *

They chain'd us two by two, and whipp'd and lash'd us along,
They cut off our provisions if we did the least thing wrong,
They march us in the burning sun until our feet are sore,
So hard's our lot now we are got upon Van Dieman's shore.

We labour hard from morn to night, until our bones do ache,
Then every one they must obey, their mouldy beds must make,
We often wish, when we lay down, we ne'er may rise no more,
To meet our savage governors upon Van Dieman's shore.

* * *

Come all young men and maidens do bad company forsake,
If tongue could tell our overthrow it would make your heart to ache,
You girls I pray be ruled by me, your wicked ways give o'er,
For fear like us you spend your days upon Van Dieman's shore.





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