Cargoes by John Masefield.
Quinquireme of Nineveh from distant Ophire,
Rowing home to haven in sunny Palestine,
With a cargo of ivory,
And apes and peacocks,
Sandalwood, cedar wood and sweet white wine.
Stately Spanish galleon coming from the Isthmus,
Dipping through the Tropics by the palm-green shores,
With a cargo of diamonds
Emeralds, amethysts,
Topazes and cinnamon and gold moidores.
Dirty British Coaster with a salt-caked smoke stack,
Butting through the Channel in the mid March days,
With a cargo of Tyne coal,
Road-rails, pig-lead,
Firewood, iron-ware, and cheap tin trays.
Quinquireme.
An ancient Roman or Greek galley of a kind believed to have three banks of oars.The oars in the top two banks being rowed by pairs of oarsmen and the oars in the bottom bank being rowed by single oarsmen.My thanks to the quick witted Denise for devising ABCW and to Roger our quintessential administrator.
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