321 Arthur?s Seat.] VOLUNTEER REVIEW IN 1860.
many a strong man?s heart beat high and his eyes
glisten. The vast hilly amphitheatre was crowded
by more than IOC),OOO spectators, who made the
welkin ring with their reiterated cheers, as the deep
and solid columns, with all their anns glittering in
the sun, were steadilyforniing on the grassy plain
below. Every foot of ground upon the northern
slopes not too steep for standing on was occupied,
even to the summit, where the mighty yellow
standard with the red lion floated out over all.
When the Queen, accompanied by the Prince
Consort, theaged Quchess of Kent, and the royal
children, came in front of the grand stand, the sight
one o?clock all the regiments were in Edinburgh,
and defiled into the park by four separate entrances
at once, and were massed in contiguous close
columns, formed into divisions and brigades of
artillery, engineers, and infantry, the whole undet
the command of Lieutenant-General Sir G. A.
Wetherall, K.C.B.
The scene which burst upon the view of these
volunteers as they entered the park, and the vast
corps being played past by the pipers of the Rossshire
Buffs.
?So admirable was the arrangement,? wrote one
at the time, ?by which the respective corps were
brought back to their original ground, that not ten
minutes had elapsed after the marching-past of
the last company before all was ready for the
advance in line, the officers having taken post
in review order, and the men standing with
shouldered arms. On the signal being given, the
whole line (of columns) advanced, the review
bands playing. The effect of this was, in one
word, indescribable, and when the whole was
was magnificent, when more than two-and-twenty
thousand rifles and many hundred sword-blades
flashed out the royal salute, and then the arms were
shouldered as she drove slowly along the line of
massed columns. The ground was kept by the 13th
Hussars, the 29th Regiment, 78th Highlanders (the
recent heroes of Lucknow), and the West York
Rifle Militia The Queen seemed in the highest
spirits, wore a tartan dress, and bowed and smiled 2.9
