By the agreement, Capt. Barclay was to give Mr. Fletcher eight days notice of the day on which he was to start. The time was accordingly fixed for Tuesday the 10th of November; and the ground on which the bet was to be decided, was the space of one mile on the high road between York and Hull, about sixteen miles from the former place. The contracting parties measured the ground, and a post was fixed at the end of the mile. In turning this post, it required a pace and a half additional each mile, which were not taken into the measurement. Persons were stationed at the winning post to notch down the rounds, and to observe that every thing was done in a fair manner. On each side of the road, a number of lamps were placed for the purpose of giving light during the darkness of the night. On Monday evening, Capt. Barclay appeared on the ground, accompanied by several of his friends, a few minutes before twelve o’clock; and Mr. Fletcher also attended. Precisely at twelve, six stop watches were set, and put into a box at the winning end, which was sealed. At the same time, Capt. Barclay started. He was dressed in a flannel close shirt, flannel trowsers and night-cap, lambs’-wool stockings, and thick-soled leather shoes.
He went the two first miles in twenty-five minutes and ten seconds, and continued nearly at the same rate till he had gone sixteen miles, when he halted. The house into which he went to refresh, was situated near the right side of the course, about ten yards from the road-side, which, in going and coming, made twenty yards, not included in the measurement. He remained about ten minutes in taking refreshment and changing clothes, when he proceeded with his match, went fifteen miles more, and then refreshed and changed as before.
At seven in the morning, which was rather hazy, Capt. Barclay appeared to be somewhat dull from the dampness of the night air. Betting, however, was two to one, and five to two in his favour. After refreshing, he was more cheerful, and went sixteen miles more, with much apparent strength, going each two miles in about twenty-five minutes and twenty seconds. By eleven, he had gone fifty miles, and appeared to proceed on his course with great ease and vigour.—Betting was now four and five to one in his favour.
When he had gone sixty miles, he stopped to refresh, and change clothes. He remained about ten minutes in the house, and came out in high spirits, with much cheerfulness in his countenance. Betting was now in his favour six and seven to one. He proceeded till he had gone seventy miles, scarcely varying in regularly performing each round of two miles in twenty-five minutes and a half, when he again refreshed and changed clothes. He appeared well and strong, and resumed his match in a gallant style.
He refreshed twice more, and performed the whole distance by twenty-two minutes four seconds past eight o’clock on Tuesday evening, being one hour, seven minutes, and fifty-six seconds within the specified time.
When he had finished, he was so strong and hearty, and in fact so well, that he could have continued for several hours longer, and might have gone twenty or thirty miles farther.—Thousands of spectators on foot and on horseback, attended during the course of his walking, and he was loudly huzzaed, and carried on the shoulders of the multitude.
In August 1802, Capt. Barclay walked from Ury to Dr. Grant’s house at Kirkmichael, a distance of eighty miles, where he remained a day and night, (but without going to bed,) and came back to Ury by dinner on the third day, returning by Crathynaird, which lengthened the journey twenty miles. The roads over which he performed this journey, were extremely rugged, being through the mountainous parts of Aberdeenshire, and the distance altogether was one hundred and eighty miles.
In June next year, he undertook to run a match for a mile and a half against Burke, the celebrated pugilist, whom he beat with ease. In the month of July, he walked from Suffolk Street, Charing Cross, to Newmarket, in ten hours, in one of the hottest days of the season. The distance is sixty-four miles, and he was allowed twelve hours to perform it, which he did in two hours less.