ginia, who had
left her husband, an Englishman, and with two children, one of which
had the small-pox, was living with him; and she could be of no use to
any one, whether Indians or other persons who might come there. We
were compelled again to wait upon the providence of the Lord.

About three o'clock in the afternoon a young Indian arrived with whom
we agreed to act as our guide, for a duffels coat which would cost
twenty-four guilders in _zeewant_, that is, about five guilders in the
money of Holland; but he had a fowling-piece with him which he desired
first to take and have repaired at Burlington, and would then come
back. He accordingly crossed over, but we waited for him in vain, as
he did not return. The greatest difficulty with him was, that we could
not speak the Indian language, and he could not speak a word of
anything else. He not coming, we asked Beerent if he would not
undertake the task, which, after some debate, he consented to do. He
arranged his affairs accordingly, and prepared himself by making a
pair of shoes or foot-soles of deer skin, which are very comfortable,
and protect the feet. That was done in half an hour. We were to give
him thirty guilders in _zeewant_, with which he was satisfied.

_29th, Friday._ We breakfasted, and left about ten o'clock in a canoe,
which set us on the west side of the river, along which a foot-path
runs a part of the way, in an east-northeast direction, and then
through the woods north-northeast. We followed this path until we came
to a plantation, newly begun by a Quaker, where we rested and
refreshed ourselves. We agreed with this man, who came in the house
while we were there, that he should put us over the river for three
guilders in _zeewant_. We crossed over about one o'clock, and pursued
a foot-path along the river, which led us to a cart-road, and
following that we came to the new grist-mill at the falls, which, in
consequence of the great flow of water, stood in danger of being
washed away.[270] Crossing here, we began our journey in the Lord's
name, for there are no houses from this point to Peskatteway, an
English village on the Raritans. We had now gone twelve or thirteen
miles from Peter Aldrix's island, and it was about two o'clock in the
afternoon.

[Footnote 270: See p. 96, note 1.]

We must here make some general observations in relation to the South
River. The Dutch, who first discovered and took possession of it, so
named it, undoubtedly beca