Canada -- Description and travel; United States -- Description and travel
Marshall and two others, Jennings and Yeates, were selected to do the
walking, all young and athletic hunters, experienced in woodcraft and
inured to hardships. The walk was fixed for September 19th, under
charge of the Sheriff, and before sunrise of that day a large number
of people gathered at the starting-point at Wrightstown, a few miles
west of the Delaware. An obelisk on a pile of boulders now marks the
spot at the corner of the Quaker Burying Ground, bearing an
inscription, "To the Memory of the Lenni Lenape Indians, ancient
owners of this region, these stones are placed at this spot, the
starting-point of the 'Indian walk,' September 19, 1737." The start
was made from a chestnut tree, three Indians afoot accompanying the
three walkers, while the Sheriff, surveyors and others, carrying
provisions, bedding and liquors, were on horseback. Just as the sun
rose above the horizon at six o'clock they started. When they had gone
about two miles, Jennings gave out. They halted fifteen minutes for
dinner at noon, soon afterwards crossed the Lehigh near the site of
Bethlehem, turned up that river, and at fifteen minutes past six in
the evening, completing the day's journey of twelve hours actual
travel, the Sheriff, watch in hand, called to them, as they were
mounting a little hill, to "pull up." Marshall, thus notified, clasped
his arms about a sapling for support, saying "he was almost gone, and
if he had proceeded a few poles farther he must have fallen." Yeates
seemed less distressed. The Indians were dissatisfied from the
outset, claiming the walk should have been made up the river, and not
inland. When the Lehigh was crossed, early in the afternoon, they
became sullen, complaining of the rapid gait of the walkers, and
several times protesting against their running. Before sunset two
Indians left, saying they would go no farther, that the walkers would
pass all the good land, and after that it made no difference how far
or where they went. The third Indian continued some distance, when he
lay down to rest and could go no farther.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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