"Songs of the Sea and Lays of the Land" by Charles Godfrey Leland Charles Godfrey Leland was an American humorist and folklorist. This book is a collection of sea shanties and poems that describe the beauty of lands around the world. The Sailor's Farewell, Mackerel Signs, True Blue, The Story of Samuel Jackson, Zion Jersey Boggs, The Ballad of the Green Old Man, and Carrying Coals are just some of the works in this collection.