The Long Walk

The bright weather of April 1864 found R. M. Ballantyne in the midst of an unusual project - traveling from London to Edinburgh on foot. He had long hoped to make the strenuous journey, and when he found himself with a bit of time after completing The Lifeboat, he grabbed a walking stick, packed his knapsack with eleven pounds of clothes, paper, and writing material, and set out from central London. He hoped to use the experience for a book entitled A Walk from London to Edinburgh in 1864, for which purpose he faithfully filled several pages of his journal each night.

The expedition provided a personal look both at the beautiful terrain and unique inhabitants of England and Scotland, and Ballantyne enjoyed the trip vastly. The trip took twenty-seven days, placing the energetic author in the Scottish capitol with a tired body and a full journal. Unfortunately, "the best laid plans of mice and men" do not always work out. Ballantyne was unaware when starting on his journey that a similar book was about to be published - an account of an American gentleman's walk from London to John o' Groats, which is a village on the extreme northern tip of Scotland, and a much farther trek. Ballantyne approached publishers with his manuscript, but they understandably rejected him on the grounds of such a similar narrative's recent printing.

The manuscript was never published, and it probably sits on some collector's dusty shelf at this moment - but hurrah for the books that still live on today, and their vigorous author!

Tueri a vulnere,

John