The George Aloe and the Sweepstake
Encyclopedia
The George Aloe and the Sweepstake or The Coasts of High Barbary is Child ballad 285.
In 1595, a ballad was entered into the Stationers' Register with the note that it was to be sung to the tune of The George Aloe and the Sweepstake.
The American variant The Coasts of High Barbary includes only one ship: it exchanges hails with a Barbary pirate and fights it, winning, as the George Aloe does with the French one.
In 1595, a ballad was entered into the Stationers' Register with the note that it was to be sung to the tune of The George Aloe and the Sweepstake.
Synopsis
The George Aloe and the Sweepstake were merchant ships bound for Safee. The Sweepstake went ahead and, after an exchange of hails, was taken by a French ship. The George Aloe received the news, followed, exchanged the same hails, and defeated the ship.The American variant The Coasts of High Barbary includes only one ship: it exchanges hails with a Barbary pirate and fights it, winning, as the George Aloe does with the French one.
External links
- The George Aloe and the Sweepstake
- The Coasts of High Barbary, with history on the variants