



Produced by Col Choat.  HTML version by Al Haines.








The Recollections of Geoffrey Hamlyn


by

Henry Kingsley




  TO
  MY FATHER AND MOTHER
  THIS BOOK, THE FRUIT OF SO MANY WEARY
  YEARS OF SEPARATION, IS DEDICATED WITH
  THE DEEPEST LOVE AND REVERENCE



CONTENTS

       I  INTRODUCTORY.
      II  THE COURTSHIP AND MARRIAGE OF JOHN THORNTON, CLERK, AND THE
          BIRTH OF SOME ONE WHO TAKES RATHER A CONSPICUOUS PART IN OUR
          STORY.
     III  THE HISTORY OF (A CERTAIN FAMILY LIVING IN) EUROPE, FROM THE
          BATTLE OF TRAFALGAR TO THE PEACE OF 1818, CONTAINING FACTS
          HITHERTO UNPUBLISHED.
      IV  SOME NEW FACES.
       V  IN WHICH THE READER IS MADE ACCOMPLICE TO A MISPRISION OF
          FELONY.
      VI  GEORGE HAWKER GOES TO THE FAIR--WRESTLES, BUT GETS THROWN ON
          HIS BACK, SHOOTS AT A MARK, BUT MISSES IT.
     VII  MAJOR BUCKLEY GIVES HIS OPINION ON TROUT-FISHING, ON
          EMIGRATION, AND ON GEORGE HAWKER.
    VIII  THE VICAR HEARS SOMETHING TO HIS ADVANTAGE.
      IX  WHEN THE KYE CAME HAME.
       X  IN WHICH WE SEE A GOOD DEAL OF MISCHIEF BREWING.
      XI  IN WHICH THE VICAR PREACHES A FAREWELL SERMON.
     XII  IN WHICH A VERY MUSCULAR CHRISTIAN INDEED, COMES ON THE STAGE.
    XIII  THE DISCOVERY OF THE FORGERIES.
     XIV  THE MAJOR'S VISIT TO THE "NAG'S-HEAD."
      XV  THE BRIGHTON RACES, AND WHAT HAPPENED THEREAT.
     XVI  THE END OF MARY'S EXPEDITION.
    XVII  EXODUS.
   XVIII  THE FIRST PUFF OF THE SOUTH WIND.
     XIX  I HIRE A NEW HORSEBREAKER.
      XX  A WARM CHRISTMAS DAY.
     XXI  JIM STOCKBRIDGE BEGINS TO TAKE ANOTHER VIEW OF MATTERS.
    XXII  SAM BUCKLEY'S EDUCATION.
   XXIII  TOONARBIN.
    XXIV  IN WHICH MARY HAWKER LOSES ONE OF HER OLDEST SWEETHEARTS.
     XXV  IN WHICH THE NEW DEAN OF B---- MAKES HIS APPEARANCE, AND
          ASTONISHES THE MAJOR OUT OF HIS PROPRIETY.
    XXVI  WHITE HEATHENS
   XXVII  THE GOLDEN VINEYARD.
  XXVIII  A GENTLEMAN FROM THE WARS.
    XXIX  SAM MEETS WITH A RIVAL, AND HOW HE TREATED HIM.
     XXX  HOW THE CHILD WAS LOST, AND HOW HE GOT FOUND AGAIN--WHAT
          CECIL SAID TO SAM WHEN THEY FOUND HIM--AND HOW IN CASTING
          LOTS, ALTHOUGH CECIL WON THE LOT, HE LOST THE PRIZE.
    XXXI  HOW TOM TROUBRIDGE KEPT WATCH FOR THE FIRST TIME.
   XXXII  WHICH IS THE LAST CHAPTER BUT ONE IN THE SECOND VOLUME.
  XXXIII  IN WHICH JAMES BRENTWOOD AND SAMUEL BUCKLEY, ESQUIRES,
          COMBINE TO DISTURB THE REST OF CAPTAIN BRENTWOOD, R.A. AND
          SUCCEED IN DOING SO.
   XXXIV  HOW THEY ALL WENT HUNTING FOR SEA ANEMONES AT CAPE
          CHATHAM--AND HOW THE DOCTOR GOT A TERRIBLE FRIGHT--AND HOW
          CAPTAIN BLOCKSTROP SHOWED THAT THERE WAS GOOD REASON FOR IT.
    XXXV  A COUNCIL OF WAR.
   XXXVI  AN EARTHQUAKE, A COLLIERY EXPLOSION, AND AN ADVENTURE.
  XXXVII  IN WHICH GEORGE HAWKER SETTLES AN OLD SCORE WITH WILLIAM LEE,
          MOST HANDSOMELY, LEAVING, IN FACT, A LARGE BALANCE IN HIS
          OWN FAVOUR.
 XXXVIII  HOW DR. MULHAUS GOT BUSHED IN THE RANGES, AND WHAT BEFEL HIM
          THERE.
   XXXIX  THE LAST GLEAM BEFORE THE STORM.
      XL  THE STORM BURSTS.
     XLI  WIDDERIN SHOWS CLEARLY THAT HE IS WORTH ALL THE MONEY SAM
          GAVE FOR HIM.
    XLII  THE FIGHT AMONG THE FERN-TREES.
   XLIII  ACROSS THE SNOW.
    XLIV  HOW MARY HAWKER HEARD THE NEWS.
     XLV  IN WHICH THERE ARE SOME ASTONISHING REVELATIONS WITH REGARD
          TO DR. MULHAUS AND CAPTAIN DESBOROUGH.
    XLVI  IN WHICH SAM MEETS WITH A SERIOUS ACCIDENT, AND GETS CRIPPLED
          FOR LIFE.
   XLVII  HOW MARY HAWKER SAID "YES."
  XLVIII  THE LATEST INTELLIGENCE.




Chapter I

INTRODUCTORY.


Near the end of February 1857, I think about the 20th or so, though it
don't much matter; I only know it was near the latter end of summer,
burning hot, with the bushfires raging like volcanoes on the ranges,
and the river reduced to a slender stream of water, almost lost upon
the broad white flats of quartz shingle. It was the end of February, I
said, when Major Buckley, Captain Brentwood (formerly of the
Artillery), and I, Geoffry Hamlyn, sat together over our wine in the
veranda at Baroona, gazing sleepily on the grey plains that rolled away
east and north-east towards the sea.

We had sat silent for some time, too lazy to speak, almost to think.
The beautiful flower-garden which lay before us, sloping towards the
river, looked rather brown and sere, after the hot winds, although the
orange-trees were still green enough, and vast clusters of purple
grapes were ripening rapidly among the yellowing vine-leaves. On the
whole, however, the garden was but a poor subject of contemplation for
one who remembered it in all its full November beauty, and so my eye
travelled away to the left, to a broad paddock of yellow grass which
bounded the garden on that side, and there I watched an old horse
feeding.

A very old horse indeed, a horse which seemed to have reached the
utmost bounds of equine existence. And yet such a beautiful beast. Even
as I looked some wild young colts were let out of the stockyard, and
came galloping and whinnying towards him, and then it was a sight to
see the old fellow as he trotted towards them, with his nose in the
air, and his tail arched, throwing his legs out before him with the
ease and grace of a four-year-old, and making me regret that he wasn't
my property and ten years younger;--altogether, even then, one of the
finest horses of his class I had ever seen, and suddenly a thought