371 Heriot?s Ho.pital.1 THE EDINBURGH VOLUNTEERS.
By the Act of Parliament referred to, the governors
were empowered to erect from this surplus
revenue their elementary schools withiin the city,
for educating, free of all expense : rst, the children
of all burgesses and freemen in poor circumstances
; znd, the children of burgesses and freemen
who were unable to provide for their sup
port; 3rd, the children of poor citizens of Eclinburgh,
resident within its boundaries. They were
also empowered by the same Act, ? to allow to any
boys, in the course of their education at such
schools, being sons of burgesses and freemen, such
uniform fixed sum of money, in lieu and place
of maintenance, and such uniform fixed sum for fee
as apprentices after their education at the said
schools is completed, as shall be determined.?
There are now sixteen of these free Heriot
schools, in different quarters of Edinburgh, all more
or less elegant and ornate in the details of their
architecture copied from the parent hospitaL . These
schools are attended by upwards of 4,400 boys and
girls.
There are also nine schools in various parts of
the city, open for free instruction in reading,
writing, arithmetic, grammar, French, German, and
drawing, attended by about 1,400 young men and
women.
There are five infant schools maintained from
the surplus funds of the same noble and gefierous
institution. ? On the report of the Bursary Committee
being given in,? at the meeting of governors
in Noveniber 1879, ?? Bailie Tawse stated that they
had at present eighteea of their young men at
college. For the month ending 20th October last,
therewere 4,907 pupils on the roll in George Heriot?s
schools, and r,075 in connectiori with the Hospital
evening classes.?
In the old volunteering times, about the last
years of the eighteenth century and the first years
of the present, the green before the hospital was
the favourite place for the musters, parades, and
other displays of the civic forces. Here theii
colours were presented, from here they were
trooped home to the Colonel?s house, when Edinburgh
possessed, per cent. of the population, a
much greater number of enrolled volunteers than
she has now.
But other exhibitions took place in Heriot?s
Bowling Green, such as when the famous aeronaut,
Vincent Lunardi, made his ascent therefiom, on
the 5th of October, 1785. On that occasion, we
are told, above 80,ooo spectators assembled, and
all business in the city was suspended for the
greatest portion pf the day. At noon a flag wa:
hoisted on the castle, and a cannon, brought from
Leith Fort, was discharged in Heriot?s Green, to
announce that the process of filling the balloon had
begun, and by half-past two it was fully inflated.
Lunardi-attired, strange to say, in a scarlet uniform
faced with blue, sword, epaulettes, powdered
wig, and three-cocked hat-entered the cage, with a
Union Jack in his hand, and amid a roaf of acclamation
from the startled people, who were but
little used to strange sights in that dull time, he
ascended at ten minutes to three P.M.
He passed over the lofty ridge of the old town,
at a vast height, waving his flag as the balloon
soared skyward. It took a north-easterly direction
near Inch Keith, and came down almost into the
Forth; but as he threw out the ballast, it rose
higher than ever. The wind bore him over North
Berwick, and from there to Leven and Largo, after
which a SSW. breeze brought him to where he
descended, a mile east from Ceres in Fifeshire,
Where the balloon. was at its greatest altitude
-three miles-the barometer stood at eighteen
inches five tenths, yet Lunardi experienced no difficulty
in respiration. He passed through several
clouds of snow, which hid from him alike the sea
and land.
Some reapers in a field near Ceres, when they
heard the sound of Lunardi?s trumpet, and saw his
balloon, the nature of which was utterly beyond
their comprehension, were . filled with dreadful
alarm, believing that the end of all things was at
hand; and the Rev. Mr. Arnot, the ministet of
Ceres, who had been previously aware of Lunardi?s
ascent, required some persuasion to convince them
that what they beheld was not supernatural.
A number of gentlemen who collected at Ceres,
set the church bell ringing, and conveyed the bold
aeronaut with all honour to the manse, where a
crowd awaited him. His next ascent was from
Kelso.
On the 26th of September, 1794, there mustered
on Heriot?s Green, to receive their colours, the
Royal Regiment of Edinburgh Volunteers, under
Lieutenant-Colonel Elder (the old provost) and
Colonel William Maxwell, afterwards a general.
The corps consisted of eight companies with thirtytwo
officers, fifteen of whom had belonged to the
regular army; but all ranks were clothed alike,
the sergeants being indicated by their pikes and
the officers by their swords. The corps numbered
about 785, all told
Their uniform was a blue coat, lapelled With
black velvet, cut away from below the breast, With
broad heavy square skirts, a row of buttons round
the cuff, gold epaulettes for all ranks, white cassi.
mere vest and breeches, with white cotton stockings,
