Van Dieman's Land

Come all you gallant poachers that ramble void of care That walk out on a moonlight night with your dog, your gun and snare The harmless hare and pheasant you have at your command Not thinking of your last career out on Van Diemen's Land Me and five more went out one night into Squire Duncan's park To see if we could catch some game, the night it being dark But to our great misfortune we got dropped on with speed And they took us off to Warwick gaol which made our hearts to bleed Then at Warwick assizes at the bar we did appear And like Job we stood with patience our sentence for to hear But being old offenders it made our case go hard And for fourteen long and cruel years we were all sent on board We had a female comrade, Sue Summers was her name, And she was given sentence for a-selling of our game. But the captain fell in love with her and he married her out of hand And she proved true and kind to us going to Van Diemen's Land. As I lay on the deck last night a-dreaming of my home I dreamed I was in Harbouree, the fields and woods among With my true love beside me and a jug of ale in hand But I woke quite broken-hearted out in Van Diemen's Land. So come all you gallant poachers, give ear unto my song It is a bit of good advice although it be not long Lay by your dog and snare, to you I do speak plain If you knew the hardships we endure, you'd never poach again.