NIMROD'S NORTHERN TOUR. 335 



they are, and the backs of them are as straight, and nearly as high, as a 

 poplar tree. I believe there is a sofa in the drawing-room, but as for 

 ottomans and footstools, and such like, you might as well look for an 

 elephant at Ury, as for any such oriental-looking- things. It is, 

 however, a well furnished and very comfortable room, and, amongst 

 other ornaments on its walls, has a full length painting of the Captain, in 

 his hunting costume, and two of Tom Cribb — one in his clothes, and the 

 other in attitude. ''The Chicken" in attitude presides over the side- 

 board in the dining room ; and, as may be supposed, the Captain, in his 

 thousand mile match, is not omitted in the collection. 



It is almost needless to refer to the past life of a person, marked with 

 so many instances of public action as that of Captain Barclay is. In 

 Pierce Egan's sporting- anecdotes, nineteen of his wonderful pedestrian 

 feats are recorded ; but finding no mention made of two extraordinary 

 performances on the coach box, '1 here give them. The first is, his 

 having driven the mail coach from London to Aberdeen, without any 

 remission of his task except during* the short periods allowed for the 

 refreshment of passengers on the journey. Having a large sum de- 

 pending on the event, a little relief was afforded him by a selection of 

 light-mouthed horses ; still so little exhausted was he when he arrived 

 at Aberdeen, that he offered to back himself to drive the return mail to 

 London in the same manner ; but the late Lord Kennedy, with whom 

 the original match was made, thought it prudent to decline his challenge. 

 The other was in pursuance of his passion for the ring. Being quartered 

 at Wrexham, North Wales, with the 23d Regiment, or Welch Fuzileers, 

 he obtained leave from his commanding officer to walk — as he said — to 

 Liverpool, to see his brother who was staying there, promising to be back 



