Now, if ye want a merchant ship to sail the seas at large; Ye'll not have any trouble if ye have a good discharge, Signed by the Board o' Trade an' ev'rything exact, For there's nothing done on a Limejuice ship contrary to the Act.
So haul, boys, yer weather main brace, an' ease away yer lee, Hoist jibs an' tops'ls, lads, an' let the ship go free, Hurrah, boys, hurrah! We'll sing this Jubilee, Damn an' beggar the Navy, boys, a merchant ship's for me!
Now, when ye join a merchant ship ye'll hear yer Articles read, They'll tell ye of yer beef an' pork, yer butter an' yer bread, Yer sugar, tea, an' coffee, boys, yer peas an' beans exact, Yer limejuice an' vinegar, boys, according to the Act. No watch an' watch the first day out, according to the Act, Ten days out we all lay aft to get our limejuice whack, Fetch out the handy-billy, boys, an' clap it on the tack, For we're gonna set that mains'l, oh, accordin' to the Act. It's up the deck, me bully boys, wid many a curse we go, Awaitin' to hear eight bells struck that we may go below, The watch is called, eight bells is struck, an' the log is hove exact. Relieve the wheel an' go below, according to the Act.

The British merchant service code governing food, punishment, etc. dates back to 1845. It was enlarged in 1894 with an anti-scurvy rider, declaring that limejuice was to be served out to each seaman after ten days at sea. This Merchant Shipping Act, also known as the Limejuice Act, is the source of the nickname frequently used by American sailors: Limejuicers, and later, Limeys.

This sarcastic British forebitter, says Stan Hugill, quickly emerged to poke fun at the Act.