Mr. Howe started at Cliffe Common, Somersetshire, to perform the Barclay match; but at the end of fifteen days he resigned the task, and thus lost his stake of three hundred guineas, besides his health being much injured.
Mr. Blackie undertook the match, but on the twenty-second day of his labour, he became afflicted with swollen legs to a frightful degree, and resigned on the twenty-third day, reduced from fourteen stones six pounds to eleven stones.
Mr. Martindale failed on the 27th of May 1812, after having gone thirty days. He wasted twenty pounds, and was much injured in his legs and feet.
When Capt. Barclay started, his weight was thirteen stones and four pounds; but when weighed in Chiffeny’s (the jockey) scales, after finishing, and resting seventeen hours in bed, his weight was reduced to eleven stones,—thus losing, in the course of his performance, no less than two stones and four pounds.
Towards the conclusion, the spasmodic affections in his legs were particularly distressing; but it is an astonishing fact, that his appetite continued to the end as good as ever. To this fortunate circumstance, the accomplishment of the match may be ascribed. If the digestive powers of the stomach had been injured by the excessive fatigue, extreme debility must have ensued, and his labours would, no doubt, have terminated in the same manner as those of the other gentlemen who have attempted this match.
He breakfasted, after returning from his walk, at five in the morning. He ate a roasted fowl, and drank a pint of strong ale, and then took two cups of tea with bread and butter. He lunched at twelve; the one day on beef-steaks, and the other, on mutton-chops, of which he ate a considerable quantity. He dined at six, either on roast beef, or mutton-chops. His drink was porter, and two or three glasses of wine. He supped at eleven on a cold fowl. He ate such vegetables as were in season; and the quantity of animal food he took daily was from five to six pounds.
He walked in a sort of lounging gait, without apparently making any extraordinary exertion, scarcely raising his feet more than two or three inches above the ground.
His dress was adapted to the changeable state of the weather. Sometimes he walked in a flannel jacket, and sometimes in a loose dark grey coat, but he always used strong shoes and lamb-wool stockings.
Bets were from the beginning in his favour, and they rose to two to one and five to two; but, about eight days before he finished, they were ten to one on his accomplishing the match, at Tattersal’s, and other sporting places. On Wednesday morning, (the day he completed the task,) one hundred guineas to one were offered; but so strong was the confidence of his success that no bets could be obtained at any odds.