When the match was first proposed, Capt. Barclay refused to make it, without a gentleman was concerned for Wood, and after such was sought for, a publican in the vicinity of Spitalfields was brought forward to back him. He accordingly stood one hundred and fifty pounds of the stake-money; but it was well known that he never before risked twenty pounds on the issue of any uncertain event. Wood had gone fifty miles in seven hours, in a wet day, while training, and was desirous of continuing his journey, being very fresh; but was stopped, lest he should be injured by the unfavourable state of the weather: of course, a great deal was expected from him. These, and several other concurring circumstances, induced some sporting men to decline paying their bets. The disputes on this head, were finally settled at Tattersal’s, when, after a good deal of discussion, it was the opinion of a considerable majority, that the bets ought not to be paid, as it was then well known, that liquid laudanum had been administered to Wood by some of his pretended friends, after he had gone twenty-two miles. The regular frequenters of Newmarket, however, maintained, that the bets ought to be paid, although they were of opinion THE RACE WAS THROWN OVER, or, at any time a man may get off from his wagers.--Capt. Barclay’s bets, which were considerable, were paid. This match, on the part of Wood and his friends, was entirely hopeless; for no man in the world could, with the least prospect of success, allow Capt. Barclay twenty miles on a walk to be decided in twenty-four hours. He had previously walked, without the advantage of training, SEVENTY-EIGHT MILES IN FOURTEEN HOURS, and what is still more astonishing, had performed SIXTY-FOUR MILES IN TEN HOURS. If no accident, therefore, had occurred, it is highly probable, he would have accomplished one hundred and thirty-five miles, which would have obliged his opponent to have gone one hundred and fifty-five miles, a distance altogether beyond Wood’s power, and such as never has been performed in that time by any pedestrian, either ancient or modern.