Modern Athletics 1868

Bex4^77. -negssmicn LOSANGELES 48. CACI/' MAR2 6 1953 ®^ s Of ALLSKWfS CHAPTEB B UGHT • SOle. KCM**!# BIIST PERFOHMANCES ON ILEC JFJO IT WFC S ECTION I.—T HE " C AFTAIN B ARCLAY" P EAT. T HE following is the only occasionon which the feat of walking one thousand miles in one thousand consecutive hours has everbeen performed, although it hasbeen said to havebeen accomplished on several occasions. Such at­ tempts were, however, only gate-money affairs,got up for some professional. Neither is it trutehat 1000miles have ever been walked in 1000 successive half hours. In the following instance there can be no possible doubt, as Captain Barclay was accompanied by umpires, and watched throughout most carefully, the time of starting and completing each mile being entered in a register, signed by the umpire in attendance,and published. * In October, 1808, the late Captain Barclay, of Ury, made a match, for 1000 guineas, with the late Wedder- burn Webster, Esq., to walk one thousand miles in one thousand consecutive hours,Newmarket Heath to bethe place, and thestart to beat noon on June 1, 1809. Pre­ viously to this arduous match, he went to Brighton for the sake of sea-bathing and fresh air, and arrived at New­ market on May 30, 1809. The ground had been marked out on a public roadleading from the houseof Mr. Buckle, where he lodged, and was by no meanasdapted forthe pur­ pose. His resting apartmentwas on theground floor facing south, and only separated from the kitchen by a small room, where the attendants sat. On the sixteenth day, he removed to new lodgings near the ' Horse and Jockey,' and shifted his ground, walkingacross the Norwich road up the Heath,half a mile out and home. He was about twenty-six yearsof age at the time, weighed]3st. 41bs. at starting, and lost 2st. 41bs.during thematch. Towards * The above particularsare extracted fromthe oldAberdeen edition of Captain Barclay's performances, published in 1813. Rodney Napier, Esq., of Grayfield, Montrose, North Britain, kindly lent the author a copf ythis very rare work, whicish now out of print, and not even inthe Library otfhe British Museum.