The Castle--A father's inquiries--Scotch language--A determination--Bui
hin Digri--Good Scotchman--Difference of races--Ne'er a haggis--Pugnacious
people--Wha are ye, man?--The Nor Loch--Gestures wild--The bicker--New
Town champion--Wild-looking figure--Headlong.

It was not long before we found ourselves at Edinburgh, or rather in the
Castle, into which the regiment marched with drums beating, colours
flying, and a long train of baggage-waggons behind. The Castle was, as I
suppose it is now, a garrison for soldiers. Two other regiments were
already there; the one an Irish, if I remember right, the other a small
Highland corps.

It is hardly necessary to say much about this Castle, which everybody has
seen; on which account, doubtless, nobody has ever yet thought fit to
describe it--at least that I am aware. Be this as it may, I have no
intention of describing it, and shall content myself with observing that
we took up our abode in that immense building, or caserne, of modern
erection, which occupies the entire eastern side of the bold rock on
which the Castle stands. A gallant caserne it was--the best and roomiest
that I had hitherto seen--rather cold and windy, it is true, especially
in the winter, but commanding a noble prospect of a range of distant
hills, which I was told were 'the hieland hills,' and of a broad arm of
the sea, which I heard somebody say was the Firth of Forth.

My brother, who, for some years past, had been receiving his education in
a certain celebrated school in England, was now with us; and it came to
pass, that one day my father, as he sat at table, looked steadfastly on
my brother and myself, and then addressed my mother:--'During my journey
down hither, I have lost no opportunity of making inquiries about these
people, the Scotch, amongst whom we now are, and since I have been here I
have observed them attentively. From what I have heard and seen, I
should say that upon the whole they are a very decent set of people; they
seem acute and intelligent, and I am told that their system of education
is so excellent that every person is learned--more or less acquainted
with Greek and Latin. There is one thing, however, connected with them,
which is a great drawback--the horrid jargon which they speak. However
learned they may be in Greek and Latin, their English is execrable; and
yet I'm told it is not so bad as it was. I was in company, the other
day, with an Englishman who has resided