but the sudden military fervour of the nation made the beginning of the century a harvest time for contractors. The letter book of this corps and the various communications addressed to Colonel Strutt, give some insight into the jobbery that was prevalent as we read between the lines. Occasionally this jobbing comes out with the coolest effrontery. It will scarcely be credited that Colonel Charles Miller, who was Inspecting Field Officer for Derbyshire, etc., at the beginning of the movement, being moved to a district nearer London, writes with his own hand to Colonel Strutt, under date December 21st, 1804, to say that he has entered into connections with the house of Mr. Ross, 28 Castle Street, Leicester Square, army clothier, and that any order for clothing or great coats, given through. him "will be executed expeditiously and in the best manner possible." Colonel Miller was evidently sending out like letters to the corps he was then inspecting, as well as to those lately under his control and dependent on his reports for their grants. But when we know what was the conduct about this period of the Commander-in-Chief, His Royal Highness the Duke of York, it is not, perhaps, to be wondered at that jobbery should be rife among his subordinates.

A circular, dated Whitehall, April 16th, 1804, asking for a return as to the strength of each corps and the arms, etc., supplied to it by the government, elicited the following response as to the Belper volunteer infantry at that date :-Companies 4, Sergeants 12, Corporals 12, Drummers 8, Privates 228, total 268. The arms received from the Derby magazine, through the clerk of the hundred were:-12 Sergeant's spears, 240 muskets, 240 sets of accoutrements, 4 drum carriages, and 10 drummers' swords and belts. Ammunition was supplied from the stores at the Tower. On April 21st, 1804, the Office of Ordnance despatched by carrier to Belper 2,400 ball cartridges, in three casks, and 450 flints, in a box; and on May 11th, 7,200 blank cartridges were sent off in five casks. A circular of December 14th, of the same year, fixes the allowance per man of the volunteer infantry at ten rounds of ball cartridge, 30 of blank cartridge, and 2 flints; to be issued in the spring and autumn of each year. Ball cartridge could be procured on a more liberal scale, at the cost of each corps, for target practice, and commanding officers were recommended to offer prizes for efficiency. We have found no record of firing practice at Belper, but an entry about the targets shows that they were painted red.

In addition to the interesting account books and papers of the volunteer movement of the beginning of the century, preserved at Messrs. Strutt's mills, there are also, at the same place, a small collection of the arms then in use. Of these Captain Herbert Strutt has kindly taken a photograph, from which Plate V. is reproduced. Fig. 1 is a pistol, 15 in. long, and in. diameter in the bore at the muzzle. Figs. 3 and 4 are carbines, of the respective length of 2 ft. 8 in., and 2 ft. 10 in., with bores of 1% and 1 in. These three weapons belonged to the volunteer cavalry or yeomanry and not to the infantry. Figs. 2, 6, and 7 are muskets, 3 ft. 4 in., 3 ft. 3 in., and 4 ft. 3 in. long., with

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in. bore; we believe the first two of these to have been the arms of the volunteer infantry, and the last of the local militia that succeeded them. Fig. 5 is a blunderbuss, 3 ft. long, including a cushion 1 in., to lessen the effect of the discharge; this weapon we believe to have been issued to the volunteer cavalry on their first formation; its bore is 2 in. at the muzzle, and the metal of the barrel is in. thick. The pikes have 5 ft. 6 in. octagonal wooden staffs, with 1 ft. 6 in. bayonet; these were issued early in the movement, when the considerable and rapid increase of the military force of the county completely outstripped the capabilities of the arsenals. A circular letter of September 28th, 1803, issued specially to the Lord-Lieutenant of Derbyshire, states that "a very considerable proportion of Musquets are now in a course of delivery with all practical despatch, and Pikes to any extent, which your Grace may think necessary for the service, may be obtained upon communicating with the Ordnance." Captain Strutt describes the officers' swords (cavalry and infantry) as of blue steel, well tempered. All the arms bear the brand TOWER and the Crown.

The Victorian volunteers are not permitted colours, but this was not the case with their predecessors. In April, 1804, is the following entry in the Belper cash book-" By Cash to Volunteers on presentation of Colours, £6 6s. od."

Drums and fifes seem to have been the only military music, with a bugle for signalling. The following items show the earliest outlay of the Belper corps in this direction :

In May of the same year, upwards of £5 had to be expended in repairing and repainting drums, as " a pair of drum heads were broken in going to Brailsford." Drink seems to have been very freely supplied on special occasions, which may perhaps account, to some extent for the smashing of the drums. On March 25th, 1804, eight guineas were paid to the volunteers "for drink on the Inspection Day, on being told they had the power to withdraw, but not one man would resign." The daily mess bills for the officers during twelve days at the "Green Man," at Ashborne, are preserved, and they show that this small mess consumed 113 bottles of port at 5s., and 45 of sherry at 6s., in addition to spirits and malt liquor.

Belper seems to have been considered a strategical point of some value at this period, as well as in the times of the Elizabethan musters. On March 8th, 1804, Colonel Charles Miller, the commanding field officer of the North Inland district, writes to Colonel Strutt that in the event of the volunteers being called out, Belper will be considered the point of assembly for the Belper, Pentrich, Codnor, Heanor, and Horsley corps.

On August 7th, 1805, news reached Downing Street that there were seven sail of the line and four frigates, besides transports ready for sea at the Helder; that troops, horses, and artillery were embarking every day; and that they had six months provisions on board.

Secret intelligence also reported increased activity at Boulogne and in the neighbourhood. The Inspecting Field Officers were directed to forward this information to the Commandants of the Volunteer Corps in order that they might be apprised "of the possibility of their being speedily called upon for Service, and that furloughs for working during the harvest should be suspended until further orders." A spirited order was issued to the Belper men, trusting that "each Volunteer, under existing circumstances, will consider his military duty as taking the lead of every other consideration." The Belper corps was ordered to have their waggons ready, each one having three days' forage, and to start instantly the order was given to Northampton, through Loughborough, en route for the capital. Each man