Capt. Barclay’s partiality to the exercise of walking, induces him to prefer it to any other mode of travelling; and, except when hunting, he is seldom on horseback. While he carried on the improvements of his estate, as a practical farmer, by retaining in his own possession, and cultivating considerable tracts of land, he frequently had occasion to go to the Highlands of Scotland, for the purpose of purchasing STOCK; and in these expeditions he always travelled on foot. He was generally accompanied by a Mr. Molyson, who is one of those respectable tenants who occupy his estate. Mr. Molyson is very much skilled in every thing relative to the value of land, and agricultural industry, and was bred to the profession of a farmer by the late Mr. Barclay of Ury. He is a man of large stature, and stands six feet three inches. He is strongly, but proportionally and handsomely made, and is a noted pedestrian[20].
Previously to Capt. Barclay’s undertaking his astonishing performance of one thousand miles in one thousand successive hours, he wished an experiment tried on the same plan; and Mr. Molyson, for a small wager, walked one hundred and ninety-two miles in as many successive hours. Mr. Molyson easily accomplished the undertaking, and it was his opinion that he could go on for six months. But it has been now fully ascertained, by the failure of some of the best pedestrians in England[21], that in attempting the Barclay match, little inconveniency is felt for the first fortnight. It is from the fifteenth to the twentieth day that the pedestrian begins to feel the arduousness of the undertaking, which gradually increases as he advances. And although Mr. Molyson was fresh and in high spirits at the close of the eight days, it is yet probable, that if he had continued much longer, he would have experienced the same difficulties that others have done.
The life of a country gentleman, almost every where, but especially in Scotland, presents little variety, and unless he shall occupy himself with rural affairs, or entertain a passion for literary pursuits, he possesses no means of relieving the vacuity of his situation, but such as arise from field sports. Capt. Barclay, at an early period of his life, kept a pack of fox-hounds, with which he hunted in Kincardineshire. But having engaged deeply in the improvement of his estate, he renounced his pack for more serious concerns, to which, for several years, he wholly devoted his attention. Having completed those measures of improvement, however, which he had so laudably undertaken, and his estate being brought to a system of management that required little exertion on his part, he entered into the service of his country, and obtained a commission in the 23d regiment. He went to the continent in the year 1805, his regiment forming part of Lord Cathcart’s army, which was sent for the protection of Hanover. He was afterwards promoted to a company, but was not again employed in actual service until the unfortunate expedition to Walcheren, where he acted in the capacity of aid-de-camp to Lieut.-Gen. the Marquis of Huntly. He embarked for that pestiferous island, a few days after he had finished his pedestrian performance at Newmarket, and, although greatly reduced by the fatigue of that extraordinary exertion, yet he suffered no injury from the climate of Walcheren, and returned home in perfect health.—Since that period, he has not been employed in military transactions, farther than in commanding the local militia of his native county, which, principally through his exertions, was brought to a high state of discipline.
Five years ago, a pack of fox-hounds was established in Kincardineshire by subscription, under the auspices of Capt. Barclay. He regularly attended the pack, wherever it went, and was scarcely a day absent from the chace. In summer, the hounds were kept at Ury, but in the hunting season, they were for weeks stationed at Turriff in Aberdeenshire, and at Beauchamp in the county of Angus. It was during the residence of the establishment at these stations, that Capt. Barclay suffered the greatest personal inconveniency. But his ardour for the chace is such, that he will endure any degree of fatigue in the pursuit of his favourite amusement.
During the season 1810-11, he frequently went from Ury to Turriff, a distance of fifty-one miles, where he arrived to breakfast. He attended the pack to cover, often fifteen miles from the kennel, and followed the hounds through all the windings of the chace for twenty or twenty-five miles farther. He returned with the hounds to the kennel, and, after taking refreshment, proceeded to Ury, where he generally arrived before eleven at night. He performed these long journies generally twice a week, and on the average, the distance was from one hundred and thirty to a hundred and fifty miles, which he accomplished in about twenty-one hours. His reluctance to live in a country tavern, and his anxiety to attend to his affairs at home, were the motives which induced him to undergo these laborious rides. When a house was fitted up at Turriff for his accommodation during last season, he seldom returned home after the chace, but often left Ury in the morning of the day in which he hunted.
During last winter, while the pack was stationed at Beauchamp, he always left Ury in the morning, and returned to dinner, after hunting. The distance is thirty-three miles, which, when doubled, and added to the average distance, to the cover, and length of the chace, was about one hundred miles. He left Ury generally at five, morning, and returned by five, afternoon. He performed these journies three times a week for nine weeks, and considered them only moderate exercise. Although frequently drenched with rain, he seldom shifted his clothes, experiencing no inconveniency from wetness. To one thus inured to fatigue, and to every change of weather, those circumstances which would incommode or even injure most people, are trivial and insignificant. Capt. Barclay neither studies the vicissitudes of the weather, nor the changes of the season, but pursues his plans, either as to business or amusement, with persevering assiduity.
As the owner of an extensive estate, his intercourse with the neighbouring proprietors is frequent and friendly; and those whom either politics or inclination lead him to associate with, are the most respectable characters of the county. His connection with his tenantry is supported by all those ties which naturally bind a proprietor to that useful class of men. They are industrious and thriving. They receive their farms at a fair price; for he knows the value of the land, and that his own interest is combined with their prosperity. Under such circumstances, it is to be expected that much civility will reciprocally take place. His tenantry accordingly participate warmly in every thing connected with his welfare, and, in return, his services are ever ready to promote their comfort and happiness.
Capt. Barclay’s mode of living is plain and unaffected. His table is always abundantly supplied, and he is fond of society. His hospitality is of that frank and open kind which sets every man at his ease. With a condescension extremely agreeable, he directs his attention alike to every person, and, in consistency with the rules of good-breeding, the perfect liberty of speech and action is enjoyed by every one who surrounds him. He is well acquainted with general history, the Greek and Latin classics, and converses fluently on most subjects that are introduced in company as topics of discussion. He has stood a candidate for his native county, which his father so honourably represented in three parliaments; and in his political sentiments he is moderate and independent. As far from violently censuring those whose political conduct he does not approve, as from blindly following the opinions of those with whom he publicly acts or personally esteems—he thinks for himself, and judges of measures by their efficacy, or tries them by the legitimate deductions of rational probability.