CHAPTER XII.

GRAVESEND TO THE NORE.--_By J. RUNCIMAN._

Morning on the Lower Thames--Gravesend--Pilots and Watermen--A Severe Code--Tilbury and its Memories--The Marshes--Wild-fowl Shooting--Eel Boats--Canvey Island--Hadleigh Castle--Leigh, and the Shrimpers--Southend and the Pier--Sailing--Sheerness--The Mouth of the Medway--The Dockyard--The Town and its Divisions--The Nore--A Vision of Wonder--Shoeburyness--Outward Bound 337

/Table of Distances/ 368

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

_Frontispiece_.--/Cliefden Woods/.

/On Title-page, Head of Thames/ (_from bas-relief on Temple Pier_). PAGES

/Map of the Thames/ _To face page_ 1

_ABOVE OXFORD_:--

The Seven Springs--Thames Head--The Sources of the Thames (_Map_)--The First Bridge over the Thames--Cricklade--Inglesham Round House--Lechlade: the First Lock--Radcot Bridge--The Ferry, Bablock Hythe--Cumnor Churchyard--Stanton Harcourt Church--Eynsham Weir--Cross at Eynsham--Oxford from Godstow--The Thames from Lechlade to Oxford (_Map_) 1-32

_OXFORD TO ABINGDON_:--

The Barges--Oxford, from Headington Hill--New College, from the Gardens--St. Mary's, from the High Street--Magdalen Tower, from the Cherwell--Stone Pulpit, Magdalen--"Tom" Gateway--The Dome of the Radcliffe, from Brasenose--The 'Varsity Barge--A "Bump" at the Barges--Iffley Mill--Iffley Church--Littlemore Church and Kennington Island--Oxford to Abingdon (_Map_)--A Picnic to Nuneham--The Bridge and Cottage, Nuneham--Distant View of Abingdon 33-61

_ABINGDON TO STREATLEY_:--

Abingdon, from the River--Abingdon Bridge--Culham Church--Clifton Hampden Church--Dorchester, from Little Wittenham--Sinodun Hill and Day's Lock--Shillingford Bridge--Wallingford Church and Bridge--Moulsford Ferry--Abingdon to Streatley (_Map_)--Streatley Mill 62-84

_STREATLEY TO HENLEY_:--

The Thames at Streatley--Streatley to Henley (_Map_)--Goring, from the Tollgate--Whitchurch Church and Mill--Mapledurham, the Church and the Mill--Flooded Meadows, from Caversham Bridge--The Thames at Reading, from the Old Clappers--Sonning-on-Thames--Sonning Weir--Shiplake--A Camping-out Party--Backwater at Wargrave--A Pool of Water-lilies 85-112

_HENLEY TO MAIDENHEAD_:--

Henley Regatta--Henley, from the Towing-path--Regatta Island--Fawley Court--Aston Ferry--Medmenham Abbey--Below Medmenham--Bisham Abbey--Bisham Church--Great Marlow, from Quarry Woods--Henley to Maidenhead (_Map_)--A Picnic at Quarry Woods--A Group of Swans--Cookham--A Crowd in Cookham Lock--The Landing-Stage, Ray Mead--Taplow Woods 113-142

MAIDENHEAD TO WINDSOR:--

Bray Church--Maidenhead to Windsor (_Map_)--Surley--Boveney Lock--Windsor Castle, from Boveney Lock--St. George's Chapel, Windsor 143-160

_WINDSOR TO HAMPTON COURT_:--

Procession of the Boats, Eton--Eton, from the Playing-fields--The Albert Bridge--Old Windsor Lock--The "Bells of Ouseley"--Magna Charta Island--Runnymede--Windsor to Hampton Court (_Map_)--London Stone--Staines Bridge--Laleham Ferry--Laleham Church--Chertsey Bridge--Shepperton Lock--Shepperton--Halliford--Sunbury Weir--Sunbury Church--Between Hampton and Sunbury--Garrick's Villa, Hampton 161-200

_HAMPTON COURT TO RICHMOND_:--

The Approach to Hampton Court--Entrance Porch--The First Quadrangle--Fountain Court--In the Reach below Hampton Court--The "Swan," Thames Ditton--Thames Ditton Church--Hampton Court to Richmond (_Map_)--Kingston, from the River--The Market-place, Kingston--The Coronation Stone--The Royal Barge--The "Anglers," Teddington--Strawberry Hill--Pope's Villa at Twickenham--Twickenham Ferry--Richmond: the Meadows and the Park--Richmond: The Terrace from the River 201-228

_RICHMOND TO BATTERSEA_:--

Richmond Bridge--Between Richmond and Kew--Sion House--The River at Kew--The Pagoda in Kew Gardens--Kew Gardens--Cambridge Cottage--High Water at Mortlake--Hogarth's Tomb--The University Boat-race--Richmond to Battersea (_Map_)--Old Hammersmith Bridge--Old Putney Bridge and Fulham Church 229-257

_BATTERSEA TO LONDON BRIDGE_:--

Battersea Bridge--Cheyne Walk--Vauxhall Bridge, from Nine Elms Pier--Lambeth Palace and Church--The Victoria Tower--The Abbey, from Lambeth Bridge--York Gate--The Embankment--The River at Blackfriars--St. Paul's, from the Thames--Southwark Bridge--Cannon Street Station--Battersea to London Bridge (_Map_) 258-287

_LONDON TO GRAVESEND_:--

In the Pool--St. Magnus' Church and the Monument--London Bridge to Woolwich (_Map_)--Billingsgate: Early Morning--The Tower, from the River--Limehouse Church--The River below Wapping--Entrance to the East India Docks--The West India Docks--Millwall Docks--Millwall--Greenwich Hospital--View from Greenwich Park--The Albert Docks--Woolwich Reach--Woolwich Arsenal--Woolwich--Plumstead--Dagenham Marshes--Barking Abbey--Barking Reach--At Purfleet--Erith Pier--Tilbury Fort--Gravesend--At Gravesend--Woolwich to Gravesend (_Map_) 288-336

_GRAVESEND TO THE NORE_:--

At Canvey Island--The Fringe of the Marshes--Hadleigh Castle--Leigh--Southend and the Pier--Sheerness Dockyard, looking up the Medway--Sheerness Dockyard, from the River--Mouth of the Thames: Low Water--Artillery Practice at Shoeburyness--Gravesend to the Nore (_Map_)--Outward Bound: Passing the Nore Light 337-362

We are indebted to Messrs. Taunt, of Oxford, for permission to use their photographs for the views on pages 15, 22, 56, 60, 65, 69, 79, 91, 149, 169, 174, 195, 198, 200, 209, 220, and 334; to Messrs. Hill and Saunders for that on page 56; to Messrs. G. W. Wilson and Co., of Aberdeen, for that on page 54; to Messrs. W. H. Beer and Co. for those on pages 71, 80, and 85; to Messrs. Marsh Bros., of Henley, for those on pages 63, 77, 113, and 132; to Messrs. Poulton and Son, of Lee, for that on page 335; to Mr. F. H. Secourable, of Southend, for that on page 351; to Mr. S. Cole, of Gravesend, for those on pages 354 and 355; and to Mr. F. G. O. Stuart, of Southampton, for those on pages 83 and 153.

/Rivers of Great Britain./

THE THAMES.