APPENDIX to the CHRONICLE. 



523 



specific objedls within the limited 

 compass of the funds of the associ- 



j ation, which, in their opinion, were 

 best adapted to the purposes of ex- 

 citement ajid preparation, conse- 

 quently most likel)" etieCtually to 

 promote the defejice of the Frith, 



, as well as of the country in general. 

 What these objects were, the sub- 

 scribers will naturally expert to 

 know. They have certainly a right 

 to be fully informed of it ; and to 

 convey this information to them, in 

 the shortest and most satisfactory 



I manner, is the chief design of the 

 |)rcsent report. 



2nd. After the publications above- 

 mentioned, the next thing to which 

 the attention of the committee was 

 called, was the means of rendering 

 more speedily useful a hrtinch of the 

 servicein itself most important, butin 

 danger of being, for a time at least, less 

 efficient than could have been wish- 

 ed, from want of skill in the use of 

 the weapons that were to be em- 

 ployed in it. The sea fencibles 

 were to be armed with pikes ; but 

 the pike exercise was little known 

 in Scotland, and no person had been 

 then sent down to instruct those in 

 it who had volunteered their services 

 in that line. To supply the want 

 of this appointment, the committee 

 appropriated a certain sura, to be 

 given to any person duly qualified 

 who should come forward and teach 

 the sea fencibles the pike exercise, 

 to the satisfaction of captain Cle- 

 ments, who has the commaiul of 

 that body, within the district to 

 which the association had particu- 

 larly directed their attention ; and 

 a premium was added for each of 

 the first 12 men who should acquire 

 such a degree of skill as to be able 

 to undertake the instruction or drill 

 uf otliers. Suck a driU-auister was. 



after some enquiry, found ; and th« 

 pike exercise is now understood, 

 and practised in a style of expert- 

 ness, superior to what might other- 

 Avise have been the case for months 

 to come. 



ord. By general Lloyd's calcula. 

 tion, only one shot out of 400, from 

 troops not accustomed to take aim, 

 takes effect in battle. This admitted as 

 a faft, shews the vast importance 

 of a soldier's being trained to ball 

 practice ; but the provision made 

 for such practice in the service is so 

 limited, that little progress towards 

 proficiency in this point can be ex- 



peiSed. To promote a spirit of 



emulation among the volunteers in 

 this useful acquirement, the com- 

 mittee ordered a considerable num- 

 ber of honorary silver medals, of 

 different sizes and value, to be 

 struck off, with appropriate inscrip- 

 tions, and to be lodged with the 

 commanding officers of each bat- 

 talion of the volunteers in the six 

 counties adjacent, or approaching 

 towards the coast from Berwick to 

 Fifeness, to be distributed hy them, 

 in a gradation of three medals in 

 each company receiving pay, to 

 the best shots of those competitors 

 whose regularity of conduft, and 

 punctuality of attendance at drill, 

 were approved of by the command- 

 ing officer. 



The committee, in suggesting this 

 idea, was far from ascribing to 

 itself any particular merit beyond 

 that of contributing in a certain de- 

 gree to animate and increase the 

 acknowledged zeal and honourable 

 emulation of our volu/iteer forces ; 

 in consequence of which, many of 

 the companies in this district have 

 by practice acquired so great a de- 

 gree of proficiency, that in their 

 exercise every 5th or 6th shot is 



made 



