4 Conce7'ning Kingsleys in General i 



Kingsley, who stuck to his post and kept the 

 ship, as ordered, at her station. On the 17th of 

 September he died, and one Parkinson, the boat- 

 swain, then took charge and kept the pennant 

 flying on the Royalist, and wisely took her to 

 Singapore, though with difficulty — mast -sprung, 

 under-handed, leaky as she was. I have often heard 

 tell of the dreadful blow this death of Gerald was 

 to all at home in Chelsea. Mr. Kingsley, the 

 father, was at that time Rector of St. Luke's there, 

 and used regularly of an afternoon to go and read the 

 papers at a public library. One day, as he went in 

 as calmly as usual, he heard a gentleman say: ' Dread- 

 ful bad business this about the Royalist — every single 

 officer on board her dead — those who did not die of 

 fever were eaten by cannibals.' Old Mr. Kingsley, 

 strong man as he was, fainted, for Gerald was the 

 joy and the hope of the house in those days ; and 

 Gerald was never forgotten by either of the brothers, 

 neither by him who grew up to be its greatest 

 honour, nor by that other who tempted so often a 

 similar fate. 



Of Charles Kingsley I need not speak further 

 here ; his life has been admirably written by his 

 devoted wife, and is almost a classic in the English 

 language. Henry, the younger brother, was consider- 

 ably junior to Charles and George ; between him 

 and George came a sister, the late Mrs. Chanter of 

 Ilfracombe, the only daughter of the house in that 

 generation. Tradition has it that this daughter of 



