The Sun.
London, England, 1862-11-12 00:00:00

EXTRAORDINARY PEDESTRIAN FEAL

The following singular and extraordinary performance
will be read with interest. The hero is a young gentleman,
a native of Northumberland, but for many years a resident
in Edinburgh. About the beginning of October, he con-
ceived the notion of walking to London to see the Exhibi-
tion, and notwithstanding the earnest remcnstrances of his
friends, he felt so confident of accomplishing his self-im-
posed task that he at once prepared for the journey. What
renders the performance all the more extraordinary is that he
is both deaf and dumb. His journey will be best described
in his own words (suppressing names of individuals, how-
ever), which he handed to us yesterday :
" I left Edinburgh at 10 p.m., on Tuesday, October 7
and walked all night to Ancroft, in Northumberland, with,,,
out halting'or rest. I walked seventy-two miles that night.
I stayed all night at Ancroft with my uncle. Oa leaving
Ancroft the next day I walked to Lucker Hall, where
dined, and afterwards drunk tea at Newham Hall. I left
Newham Hall at 10 p.m., and walked all night to Durham,
without food, rest, or sleep. I walked eighty-four miles, from
Ancroft to Durham, without going to bed. I stayed all
night at an hotel in Durham, and started on foot the next
day for Yarm. I walked only thirty-one miles that day. I
stayed two nights with my friends at Yarm. I left Yarm on
October 13, and walked all day to York. I walked forty-
three miles that day. On leaving Yolk, the day after, I
wal ed thirty-seven miles to Doncaster, where I put up
for the night. I left Doncaster, and walked to Wentworth,
where I stayed five days. On October 15 I walked only nine-
teen miles ; on the 16th, four miles; 17th, 18th, and 19th
I rested. I left Wentworth on Monday, the 20th, and
walked back to Doncaster. I walked only twenty-two miles
that day. I st,,yed one night at Doncaster, and started on
foot in the morning for Newark. I walked forty-eight
miles that day. On leaving Newark the next day I walked
thirty-five Miles to Stamford, where I remained one night.
I made up my mind not to rest myself at any place on the
road between Stamford and London. I was also determined
to walk more than 100 miles at one time. I left Stamford
at nine o'clock a.m. on Thulsday, October 23, and walked,
by very long roads, through Northamptonshire, Hunting-
donshire, Redfordshire, and entered London at King's-cross
Railway Station, in Middlesex, on Friday, October 24, at
two o'clock p.m. I got my very heavy travelling bag
at King'-cross, which was forwarded from Edinburgh
to London by rail, and, after having paid the carriage of
the bag, I carried it in my hand for seven hours about
the streets of London. I visited a friend at Regent's
Park, at nine o'clock p.m. His family were
very glad to see me after such a very long foot journey. I
r-sided with them until after the close of the Great Exhi-
bition. From Stamford to London, I walked no less than
130 miles, in 36 hours, without halting, without rest, with-
out food, without sleep, and without going to bed. I was
not in the least knocked-up, and was by no means fatigued.
I could still walk many more miles. I could dance the
Highland fling after I had walked 130 miles. My feet and
shoes were both in perfect condition. I was in great health,
and also in high spirits. This is all truth. ' Truth is
stranger than fiction." When my friends heard that I had
left Edinburgh on a walking expedition to London, they
were very much distressed, because they feared I should
perhaps drop down dead in the middle of my journey. I
arrived in London all right. lam still alive and kicking.
I am blessed with a powerful digestion and constitution to
enable me to stand so much fatigue, and to bear hunger for
a long time.

" I was never trained. I was only in the habit of walk-
ing between 10 and 30 miles every day in Scotland, for six
months, on a tour of visits to my friends. My physician, of
Edinburgh, who has known me for the last five years, told
me that if I dared to walk all the way to London, it would
perhaps be my death ; but I myself perfectly knew 1 i_ve:
quite able to walk all the way frcm Edinburgh to Londc'
without being wearied. I visited the Great Exhibition i for
the first time on Monday, Oct. 27, and continued to visit
yt
every day until the close of the Exhibition i
much pleased with my six visits. I walked no less
very
than 40
visited
"
miles within the Great Exhibition building, having visited
I
all parts of the departments and refreshment m
went by railway to Hampshire, and stayed eight days
London yes-
with my uncle, a clergyman. I returned
to-
terday, by rail. I am going back
miles an hour
night (Tuesday), by rail. I walked five Mi,,e an hour
by moonlight, but I walked only three "
to to
an hour in
in a moonless night. I walked four miles.
because I can
the daylight. I prefer to walk by moonlights. De°'
walk much better and quicker in the womb
Edinburgh to London for
ht than in the
daylight. I walked so far from Edin:7l-. /am a native
pure ambition. Ambition goes for noon)*
of Northumberland, but I have be
n whatever. I am
a resident in Scotland
nearly all my life. I have no profession a hueltcymin3 ing mya
gentleman's son. lam just like
fe
holidays, and waiting
for a
proper opportunity to turn my-
self a sheep-farmer. Welkg!lnstead of my profession, is
I was unfortunately
only my amusement and pleasure.
ding this affliction, I am
born deaf and dumb. Notwil.tvbeisytan. I am now twenty-three
very happy, cheerful and
nine walkinb
1 • ci• days—from Edinburgh to
y re of age. I had
of
sixty miles a day. I had other
London—atea the my friends, at their own re.
eight days to
53 miles, from Edinburgh to Lou..
I walked
stay with
in a hurry about walking to
quest. ,
was
ne
ver
don.
1 ~,,til October, because I knew it was the
London -- aging '
without the inconvenience of ,either
best time for
w r
too n'tmhunheagt gentleman cold."
The Y° ntleman entered into very minute particu-
lars,i both in writing and illustration, the latter most ener-
getically, as to the style of walking, and showed us on his
feet the identical shoes in which he performed his feat. He
kept a
small box of grease in his pocket for the purpose of
greasing the uppers every night, and he also carried a flask
of whisky for moistening the inside of his shoes. People
wondered, he said, that he did not consume the "national
spirit" by the mouth instead of pouring it into his shoes,
which they considered a great sacrifice. He totally ignores'
the use of soap for the feet, and backs whisky against any-
thing. At the request of a young friend of his, he carried
a small bottle of brandy, in case he might feel faint, but he
never once required its stimulating aid the whole of the
journey.—Sporting Lift.

MORE SYMPTOMS OF AN EARLY WlNTER.—Yes-
terday, not only in the metropolis, but in the suburbs, and
throughout a great portion of the country, a frost of rather
more than usual severity, accompanied with a wind from
the west and north-west, prevailed from midnight. Several
of the ponds in the neighbourhood of Highgate, Hamp-
stead, &c., were completely frozen over, the ice upon being
broken being above an eighth of an inch in thickness. The
glass at the receiving-house of the Royal Humane Soda,'
was a few degrees below the freezing point.