Stature of the Men of Roxburgh and Selkh-k. 321 



Feet. Inches. 

 At Hawick, the first 112 men, down to 



December 1863, average 5 8-54 



The last 112 men, from 1880 to 1890, 



average 5 703 



Decrease TSl 



At Galashiels, the first 99 men, down 



to December 1870, average 5 787 



The last 99 men, from 1880 to 1890, 



average 5 7 29 



Decrease '58 



At Jedburgh, the first 55 men, down 



to March 1871, average 5 8*20 



The last 21 men, from 1880 to 1890, 



average 5 6-71 



Decrease 1 49 



In the case of the other three detachments, no appreciable 

 variation appears. 



No doubt it may be contended that the average shown 

 by the manufacturing towns, which, by the way. is only a 

 shade less than that of the 161 men classed as "incomers" 

 from elsewhere, is, after all, a respectable average. Let this 

 be granted ; yet it seems to be proved that, at any rate, it 

 falls considerably short of the normal stature of the breed 

 of men heretofore constituting the male inhabitants of the 

 Scottish Borders. Here it may not be out of place to observe 

 that it is by no means intended to suggest that mere stature, 

 or even "bulk," is, of itself, to be taken as the measure of 

 physical efficiency. Every one must know many cases of big 

 men being very deficient in strength — whether it be muscular 

 strength, or, what is of much more importance, strength of 

 constitution — meaning stamina and endurance.* And what 



* In the British Array, down till shortly after the Crimean war, there 

 were in every ordinary Line Battalion two companies of picked men — the 

 Grenadier Company, which stood on the right when in line, and the Light 

 Company, which stood on the left. The men of the former were selected 



