379 



His dress whilst walking was nearly all of flannel, with breeches and 

 lambs'-wool socks or stockings according to the weather, light or heavy 

 shoes according to state of the ground, and a soft felt hat. He break- 

 fasted always at 5 a.m. on animal food (generally roast fowl), a pint of 

 strong ale and two cups of tea or coffee with bread and butter. 

 Luncheon at noon on the best of beef or mutton, plainly roast or 

 broiled, with a pint of strong old ale. Dinner at 6 p.m. of same 

 materials, with the addition of a couple of glasses of port wine. 

 Supper at 11 p.m., same as luncheon. No boiled meat was allowed, 

 being more difficult of digestion, but his consumption of animal food 

 during the twenty-four hours was from olbs. to 6lbs., besides as much 

 as he could eat of all vegetables in season. The private families in 

 Newmarket supplied him with their best home brewed ale (there was 

 no Bass or Guinness in those days), and when thirsty between-whiles 

 he drank Madeira and water. 



When Captain Allardice started on this match he was 29| years of 

 age, stood 5ft. lOin. or lOiin., and weighed as nearly as possible 13st. 4lb. 

 After his seventeen hours' sleep at the end, he went to scale and 

 was found to have lost just 2st. 4lbs. — probably he put up 3lbs. or 

 4llbs. during the sleep, for weight thus lost returns with marvellous 

 rapidity. No doubt he wisely trained "big" for this occasion, in 

 order to allow for wasting by perspiration and want of sleep, for 

 13st. 4lbs. would not be the ordioary training weight of a man 5ft. lOin. 



He was allowed to choose his own time of year for the match, so 

 he took that when daylight was longest. According to BelVs " log ' 

 the weather was variable all the time, but with the exception of a 

 few visitations of heavy rain and wind, with a thunderstorm on the 

 thirty-eighth day, it kept fairly good. Sunset and sunrise were his 

 worst times, owing to weariness of the brain from want of sleep, which 

 even in the commencement he could never get more than an hour and 

 a half off the reel. His greatest trouble was with his legs, and he 

 suffered fearfully after the twelfth day from cramps. These were, 

 I should think, caused by his wearing tight breeches and long stock- 

 ings, and if the light, loose clothing now worn by pedestrians had 

 been then in fashion, the Captain would have had more ease. During 

 the periods for rest he went to bed when inclined but never 

 without entirely undressing, otherwise he lay on a sofa and conversed 

 or read. The advantage and comfort he derived from a thorough 

 change of clothes when he turned-in must have served him well. 

 Luckily his appetite and digestion never failed him, as is shown by 

 the enormous quantity of food he consumed daily, nor did his good 

 spirits or confidence in his ability to win flag in the least. Through- 

 out the whole time he got the most careful attendance and nursing, 

 which of course aided materially, but the greatest of all the causes of 

 Captain Barclay-Allardice's success was his indomitable British pluck 

 and dogged determination to " do or die." 



I see no allusion to his having taken cold baths, but of a truth the 



