Note 663 — Chapter V · THE DIFFERENCING ELEMENTS OF COMMUNAL POETRY (continued 2)

Laura Alexandrine Smith, Music of the Waters, London, 1888; John Ashton, Real Sailor Songs, London, 1891. Boatmen’s songs changing or dying out: Bücher, pp. 128 f. Bücher’s little group of boatmen’s songs, pp. 118 ff., 66 ff., is far more valuable than these long and random collections. See his comments, pp. 68 ff. For example, the boat-song of North American Indians, taken from Baker, is foolishness to the Greeks who make collections for popular use, but is full of instruction for the student of poetry; it runs, without the musical notes:—

Ah yah, ah yah, ah ya ya ya,

Ah ya ya ya, ah ya ya ya,

Ya ya ya ya ya ya.