ABPA - Australian Bush Poets Association

What to make of Captain Logan?

Stephen Whiteside 16.04.2012

What to make of Captain Logan? Hero? Villain? Who can say?
Dreaded monster? Great explorer? Made his name at Moreton Bay.
Frank the Poet wrote a folk song. Said he was by far the worst.
When they heard that he'd been murdered, convicts cheered as though they'd burst.

Tied them fast unto triangles, flogged them to the point of death,
Till their flesh was cut to ribbons, till they fought for ev'ry breath.
Frank the Poet was a convict, frequent victim of the lash.
Heard the rumours. Knew the stories. Could his judgement still be rash?

Logan's known as Queensland's founder; sailed the rivers, climbed the mounts.
Sought no profit. Shirked no duty. How, then, do we square accounts?
Local natives warned him often. Didn't want him on their ground.
Still he blundered blindly forward. Deadly spear soon he found.

Impetuous? Determined? Headstrong? Drove himself, and others too?
Dreaded monster? Great explorer? Who can say which one is true?
As I try to square accounts, too many debits in his bank.
I am with the local natives, and the convicts...and with Frank.

I like the way that you have made a different approach to the syntax. It's good to see someone having a go at something a bit different. ( I think

I think that the last line in stanza 3 might need some revision in the metre and also I think you could reconsider the use of the passive voice in the last phrase of that line. At that dramatic moment I think the active voice would work better.

Making moral judgements about people, expecially in the past is a big call, because we just don't have all the information and background, as you have sort of alluded to in the first 2 lines of the last stanza.
If the convicts cheered at the violent death of a man then I reckon that they were no better than him, maybe worse.

I notice Stephen that you have put a couple of poems on about prison conditions. Have you ever read or studied about the infamous Stanford University Prison Experiment carried out by Psychologist Phillip Zimbardo. It's a must I think for anyone who has opinions about human relations in prison conditions.

Thank you for your considered opinions, Neville. I will check out the reference you suggested.

Good one Stephen - another bit of our history captured in an interesting rhyme. I reckon if they had taught history as school like this we would have enjoyed it so much more - Do they still teach history at school??? Probably not

Typo here Tied them fast unto triangles should be onto I suspect

Agree with Neville re that last verse - 1st line - it could do with a bit of a touch up - but other than that it flowed nicely -almost like a sea shanty.

I think the fact that he was warned off by the natives but continued to trespass on their land instead of finding or trying to come to an arrangement smacks of arrogance - I suspect he was an arrogant and overbearing man and considered himself to be way above lowly blacks, convicts and no doubt any who he considered beneath his social standing. Probably climbed to glory using their bodies for stepping stones

It is hard to say who was right and who was wrong - they were after all convicts, but convicted of what??? Often times the punishment did not fit the crime at all - and I have no problem with corporal punishment or the death sentence if it is rightly deserved, but hate to see injustice to man or beast. Our history is stained with blood on both sides sadly.

Cheers

Maureen

Thanks, Maureen. I think I'll stick with 'unto'.

Hi Stephen
Metre looked perfect to me
Enjoyed the read - it is interesting to look back at our so called 'heroes' at times, isn't it?
I must go and read about Captain Logan.

Catchya
IRene

Thanks, Irene. Yes, it's an interesting story. To me, 'Moreton Bay' is one of Australia's most beautiful folk songs.

Hi Stephen
I had a great score today - a lady bought me in two wonderful books that I paid $6 for. They were called My Country - Australian poetry and Short stories - two hundred years.
They have poems and stories covering/written over approx the first 150 years of colonisation of Australia, many by people I have not heard of.
I was flicking through the first book and found the following poem. It is attributed to our good friend, Anonymous!! But I immediately thought of your poem when I read it.
The poems were written chronologically where they could, and this poem was the eight poem, so is obviously one written very early.

A Convict’s Lament on the Death of Captain Logan
Anonymous

I am a native of the land of Erin,
And lately banished from that lovely shore;
I left behind my aged parents
And the girl I did adore.
In transient storms as I set sailing,
Like mariner bold my course did steer;
Sydney Harbour was my destination –
That cursed place at length drew near.

I then joined banquet in congratulation
On my safe arrival from the briny sea;
But, alas, alas! I was mistaken –
Twelve years transportation to Moreton Bay.
Early one morning as I carelessly wandered,
By the Brisbane waters I chanced to stray;
I saw a prisoner sadly bewailing,
While on the sunlit banks he lay.

He said, “I’ve been a prisoner at Port Macquarie,
At Norfolk Island, and Emu Plains;
At Castle Hill and cursed Toongabbie –
At all those places I’ve worked in chains,
But of all the places of condemnation,
In each penal station of New South Wales,
Moreton Bay I found no equal,
For excessive tyranny each day prevails.

Early in the morning, as the day is dawning,
To trace from heaven the morning dew,
Up we started at a moment’s warning
Our daily labour to renew.
Our overseers and superintendents –
These tyrants’ orders we must obey,
Or else at the triangles our flesh is mangled -
Such are our wages at Moreton Bay!

For three long years I’ve been beastly treated;
Heavy irons each day I wore;
My poor back from flogging has been lacerated,
And oft-times painted with crimson gore.
Like the Egyptians and ancient Hebrews,
We were sorely oppressed by Logan’s yoke,
Till kind Providence came to our assistance,
And gave this tyrant his fatal stroke.

Yes, he was hurried from that place of bondage
Where he thought he would gain renown;
But a native black, who lay in ambush,
Gave this monster his fatal wound.
Fellow prisoners be exhilarated;
Your former sufferings you will not mind,
For it’s when from bondage you are extricated
You’ll leave such tyrants far behind!”

I think that must be quite an old book, Irene. The poem is now generally acknowledged as having been written by 'Frank the Poet', Frank McNamara.

You can find out a whole lot about him here:
http://www.frankthepoet.com/

and more here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_the_Poet

and here:
http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/macnamara-francis-13073

I picked up a book about him at the NFF at Easter, which prompted me to write the poem. I've heard bits and pieces about him over the years, but never sat down to study him properly. It's an amazing story - not just his life, which was quite extraordinary, but also the efforts of the folklorists (John Meredith et al.) who've managed to piece much of it together relatively recently.

Well, there you go Stephen - I didn't realise that was what you were talking about!! I have never heard the song, or if I had, didn't remember it!!
Just found it rather co-incidental it coming into my hands within a day of reading your post!!
The set of two books was originally published in 1985 by a lady called Leonie Kramer. Without the pages of acknowledgements etc at the back, there are 607 pages in volume one and 645 pages in volume two - an excellent score for $6, I thought!! They also include some small copies of a selection of paintings from that period.

Will go and check out your links!!
thanks
Irene