Page:Tales-of-Banks-Peninsula Jacobson 2ed 1893 cropped.pdf/85

Like most old whalers, he was fond of a glass, and occasionally exceeded, his favorite beverage being rum. He was enthusiastically fond of the sport of pig hunting, and his gaunt figure was usually accompanied by a pair of brindled bull and mastiffs, and a long stick. When overcome he lay down for a sleep, these dogs would not let a soul approach, and sometimes stopped people from passing along the road. One strange peculiarity of his was, that he had totally forgotten his own language, not being able to understand a single word of German, which he must have solely spoken till he was twenty-five or twenty-six years of age. He was continually travelling to Wellington during the session, to urge his claims, and his figure was nearly as well known in the lobbies of the House as that of the Premier. The Hon. Mr. Mantell was an earnest advocate of Hempleman’s claims, and took a great deal of trouble in the matter. During Hempleman’s visits to Wellington he used to spend a few days with his friends in Christchurch on the way, and during one of these visits, whilst resting on one of the parapets of the Victoria Bridge, he fell over into the river, and was locked up for attempted suicide, The police, however, soon discovered that Hempleman was not the sort of man to swallow any quantity of cold water voluntarily, and allowed him to proceed on his way to Lyttelton. He bequeathed his wretched legacy of defeated claims to a granddaughter, named Miss Kate Welsh, who has, we learn, been advised that she has a claim, but understand she has no intention of prosecuting it. So ends the story of George Hempleman’s claim.