^ET. 26.] VOLUNTEERING PROJECT. 311 



utmost zeal for the service of the country ; and their 

 eager wishes to form an effective corps induced me 

 to give up for the time my intentions of entering the 

 militia, and to remain with the rest of the body, to 

 our very great inconvenience, in Edinburgh during 

 the whole of the season. 



It was resolved, with the countenance of the Uni- 

 versity, the magistrates, the Lord-Lieutenant, and the 

 Commander-in-Chief, to form a battalion of light in- 

 fantry of 588 men, who should serve everywhere 

 without any expense to Government. We immedi- 

 ately enrolled a large proportion of that number, and 

 knew that in a month it must be completed, as our 

 letters from the country showed that many others 

 only waited our establishment to join us ; and our 

 plan was set on foot at the very worst possible season 

 of the year. We obtained the hearty concurrence of 

 all the constituted authorities above mentioned, and 

 acted in every step by their special advice that is to 

 say, I communicated almost daily with the Com- 

 mander-in-Chief and Lord -Lieutenant, and these 

 proposed regulations to the association, which were 

 uniformly carried unanimously and eagerly. Our 

 offer of service was drawn up, signed by me at their 

 desire, and transmitted in the form pointed out by 

 the persons above named, accompanied with an obli- 

 gation signed by the whole body, and forwarded to 

 Lord Hobart by the Lord Provost of Edinburgh, as 

 lord-lieutenant of the city, and the Duke of Buc- 

 cleuch as lord-lieutenant of the county, both very 



