"Tackuanna" is a corruption of Talcahuano, a port in Chile, and is the name of the song that I learned from Brian Kelly whilst a member of the Idle Fellows. I do not know where he got it. It's a breezy whaling song of four verses and jolly chorus which starts with the singer boasting of his whaling prowess. The rest of the song praises the girls of the town with the final lines expressing the singer's regret that he could not marry all of them.
The descriptions of loveliness are very graphic. Just consider, dear surfer:
   "There was one pretty maiden a-chewin' tobacco
    Just like a young kitten a-chewin' fresh fish"
If that is not the epitome of beauty then I don't know what is!

Lyrics