Heroes and Gaolbirds

Book excerpt: This is the story of George Hunter, the author's grandfather, who became unemployed after the battle of Trafalgar and the Napoleonic wars.He and a friend conspired to commit a felony for which they would be transported to a far off land where the streets were said to be paved with gold.They arrived in leg irons to find that not only the streets not paved with gold, but mostly were not paved at all.George served the balance of his sentence and became a free man.Thereafter, his fortunes changed and after a series of misadventures he prospered in this emerging country.