Villas on the Tay. 293 



ful or ornamental members of society — and thus good 

 king Robert's sagacity in pitting these turbulent fellows 

 against each other was apparently justified. 



Before starting to-day we had time to stroll along 

 the Tay for an hour or two. We were especially at- 

 tracted by a volunteer regiment under drill upon the 

 green, and were gratified to see that the men looked 

 remarkably well under close inspection, as indeed did all 

 the militia and volunteers we saw. The nation cannot 

 be wrong in accounting these forces most valuable aux 

 iliaries in case of need. I have no doubt but in the 

 course of one short campaign they would equal regular 

 troops ; at least such was the experience in the Ameri- 

 can war. The men we saw were certainly superior to 

 regulars as men. It is in a war of defence, when one's 

 own country is to be fought for, that bayonets which 

 can think are wanted. With such a question at issue, 

 these Scotchmen would rout any regular troops in the 

 world who opposed them for pay. As for miserable 

 skirmishes against poor half-armed savages, I hope these 

 men would think enough to despise the bad use they 

 were put to. 



The villas we saw upon the opposite bank of the 

 Tay looked very pretty — nice home-like places, with 

 their gardens and boat-houses. We voted fair Perth 

 very fair indeed. After luncheon, which was taken in 

 the hotel at Dunkeld, we left our horses to rest and 

 made an excursion of a few miles to the .falls, to the 



