18 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
mischievous subjects, he seized a ladder which stood beside him-flung it over
his shoulder-and, in desperation, actually pursued the flying enemy for some
distance ere he discovered that an apprentice of Mr. Donaldson, a painter, was
holding on by the top of it, having been carried away while painting some
letters on a sign.
We shall conclude our reminiscences of Bailie Duff with one more anecdote.
He had been intrusted to carry home a leg of mutton for a neighbour in the
College ?Vynd ; but hours elapsed, and the Bailie appeared not. His employer
waited long and anxiously. Dinner would be too late. Tired out at last,
a.nd proceeding to the Bailie’s dwelling, she there found him, sure enough, with
the mutton boiling nicely on his mother’s fire. Provoked beyond measure, the
lady burst out in a tornado of abuse ; and, threatening to have him punished
for breach of trust, was in the act of hurrying down-stairs with the reeking
mutton, when the Baillie, grasping the boiling pot, threw it after her, exclaiming-“
If ye tak the m e a e t a k the broo tae.”
No. CLXXVI.
MAJOR-GENERAL ALEXANDER MACKAY,
DEPUTY ADJUTANT-GENERAL TO THE FORCES IN SCOTLAND.
TRIS worthy old soldier, a native of Sutherlandshire, was the second son of
James Mackay of Skerray, in the district of Strathnaver, who held his lands in
wadset from the Reay family.
His father had a lieutenancy-in the Earl of Sutherland‘s Highland Regiment,
raised in 1759, in which corps the Major-General commenced his military career
as an Ensign. After the reduction of the Sutherland Fencibles in 1763, he
served as a subaltern during the remainder of the Seven Years’ War. In 1775
he purchased his appointment as Lieutenant and Adjutant to the 69th Foot;
and in 1779 was promoted to a company in the same regiment.
. In 1780, when the Hon. General Alexander Mackay was invested with the
Command of the Forces in Scotland, he chose Captain Mackay for one of his
Aides-de-camp ; but the 69th Regiment being soon thereafter ordered abroad,
the Captain resigned his staff appointment, and sailed with his regiment for
America, where he was severely wounded in the arm.
After the peace with America, he returned to Britain, and obtained his
former place on the staff. In 1785 he was appointed Major of Brigade to the
Forces in North Britain; in 1793 Deputy Adjutant-General in Scotland, with
the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel in the Army j and in 1797 he was advanced
to be Colonel in the Army.