balls, bombs, grenades, &c. The term, in a more extensive meaning, includes the powder, the matches, instruments for fire-works, the utensils of ordnance, the machines which facilitate their motion, the vehicles over which they traverse rivers, and, in short, all that enters into the form of a train of artillery. Artillery, in a particular sense, signifies the science of artillery or gunnery, comprehending, geometry, trigonometry, conic sections, mechanics, fluxions, motions of projectiles, whether in a non-resisting, or a resisting medium; the nature, constitution, and expansive force of gunpowder, &c.

2. It is only within a few years that the use of cannon or artillery, in the field, has become so general.

In the reign of Edward VI. and about the year 1548, the English artillery consisted only of a master of artillery, lieutenant, surveyor, clerk, yeoman, master gunner, gunstock-maker, two gun-founders, a gun-smith, artificer, mas-, ter-carpenter, and 109 gunners; the total charge for one year being 1547. 9s. 2d. In the reign of Elizabeth, the establishment was somewhat increased, so that the salaries of the officers only amounted te 20747. 10s. in the year 1597. From that period the augmentation was very gradual till the circumstances of the American war, and the French revolution occasioned a very rapid increase. The æra of the French revolution may be considered that of its complete adoption; this was not a little aided by Dr. Anderson's invention of the flying artillery, which was submitted to, and rejected by, the English government during the American war, when the ingenious inventor carried his plan to France, where it was instantly adopted. The present establishment of artillery consists of ten battalions, besides an invalid battalion. The works for guns and gun-carriages, &c. are carried on at the Royal Arsenal, Woolwich, and are wonderfully extensive, employing usually 4 or 5000 men. The establishments at the Tower of London, and at Chatham, connected with the artillery and ordnance, are also very immense; and the expense to government very considerable, the orduance estimates being now from four to five millions sterling annually.

3. Engineers draw out the plans of attack at sieges and for the defence of towns when besieged. They have the sole construction and disposition of all forts, redoubts,

batteries, mines, &c. the fortifying of camps and posts; reconnoitring the enemy's works; taking plans and surveys of a country, discovering the most advantageous methods for marching, retreating, attacking, or defending; building all fortifications, magazines, and other military structures. They ought, therefore, to be men of science, and well skilled in mathematics and military architecture.

4. The Royal Military Academy at Woolwich was established by George II. in 1741, for the express purpose of instructing a company of gentlemen cadets in all military tactics, and in all the branches of literature and science requisite to make good officers of artillery and engineers. The present company of cadets consists of 200, and the establishment for the discipline and instruction of these, consists of a lieutenant-governor, an inspector, and assistant inspector, a captain of the company, and about twenty professors and masters in the several departments of study. Several gentlemen who have been, or still are, connected with this institution, are eminent for their scientific attainments, among whom we cannot but name Mr. Thomas Simpson, Mr. Muller, Dr. Hutton, Colonel Mudge, Dr. Gregory, and Mr. Bonnycastle.

ARCHERY. In most nations, the bow was anciently the principal implement of war, and by the expertness of the archers alone was often decided the fate of battles and of empires. In this island, archery was much encouraged in former times, and the English archers became the best in Europe, and obtained many signal victories. The Artillery Company of London are the remains of the ancient fraternity of bow-men or archers. William the Conqueror had a considerable number of bow-men, at the battle of Hastings. The long bow maintained its place in our armies, long after the invention of fire-arms. There are several societies of archers in England, as the Woodmen of Arden, the Royal Company of Archers in Scotland, &c. Edward III. issued an order to the sheriffs, for providing 500 white bows and 500 bundles of arrows, for the then intended war against France. Similar orders were repeated in the following years; with this difference only, that the sheriff of Gloucestershire was directed to furnish 509

The

painted bows, as well as the same number of white. famous battle of Cressy was fought four years after, in which we had 2000 archers.

BAYONET. This is of great use to the dragoons and fusileers, after they have spent their powder and ball. The French are much celebrated for their charge with the bayonet. The muscular strength and determined resolution of the British has, however, of late, somewhat diminished this celebrity.

BOMB is a hollow iron ball or shell, thrown out of a mortar. They are of different magnitudes, and are filled with gunpowder. When they are shot from the mortar a fuze in them takes fire, and its length is so-adjusted, that by the time the shell has finished its flight, the fuze has burnt up, and explodes the gunpowder within so as to burst the shell to pieces just as it is falling to the ground; this, of course, increases its execution, and causes great devastation.

Bow. The bow is the most ancient of all weapons. The Lapland bow is made of two pieces of tough and strong wood, shaved down to the same size, and then flatted on each side; the two flat sides of the pieces are brought closely and evenly together, and then joined by means of a very strong glue. The two pieces united, in this manner, will seldom separate; and the bow expels the arrow with greater force. Among the ancients, bow-strings were made of horse-hair; though Homer's bow-strings were frequently made of hides cut into small thongs. The bows were composed of wood, and some of horn. The Scythian bows were distinguished from those of other nations by their incurvation, which formed a half-moon, or semi-circle. A cross-bow consists of a steel bow, set in a shaft of wood, furnished with a string and a trigger. It serves to throw bullets, large arrows, darts, &c. The ancients had machines for throwing many arrows

at once.

BULLET. Chain bullets consist of two balls, joined by a chain three or four feet apart. Two headed bullets are two halves of a bullet, joined by a bar or chain, chiefly used for cutting cords, cables, sails, &c. called also chain shot. Branch bullets, are two balls joined by a bar of iron five or six inches apart. Hollow bullets are shells,

made cylindrical, with a fusee at one end. Red hot bullets are made so by being heated in a forge, in order to set fire to places where combustible matters are found. See Shot.

CANNON. Cannons were first used by the English at the battle of Cressy, in 1346. Edward struck terror into the French army, by five or six pieces of cannon, it being the first time they had seen such thundering machines. Cannons are made cylindrical, that the motion of the ball may not be retarded in its passage; and that the powder, when on fire, may not slip between the ball and the surface of the cannon, which would destroy its effect. The ordinary charge of a cannon is half the weight of its ball. After thirty discharges, the cannon is cooled with two pints of vinegar, mixed with four of water, poured into the barrel, the touch-hole being first stopped. See also Manufactures.

CARBINE is shorter than a musket, carrying a ball of twenty-four in the pound, borne by the light horse, hanging at the belt over the right shoulder. The barrel is two feet and a half long, and is sometimes furrowed spirally within, which adds to the range of the piece. Carbineers are regiments of light horse carrying longer carbines than

the rest.

GRENADE. The composition of a grenade is the same as that of bombs, only less, and cast with the hand. They usually weigh about 3lbs. and are as large as an iron bullet. The common, or hand grenades, are either of iron, tin, wood, pasteboard, &c.. They are filled with strong powder, and lighted with a fusee.

GUN-POWDER. There are various methods of ascer taining the strength or goodness of gun-powder. 1. Sight. If the powder be too black, it is moist, or has too much charcoal in it so also if rubbed upon white paper it blackens it more than good powder does; but if it be of a kind of azure colour, inclining to red, it is good powder. 2. Touch. If in crushing it with the fingers' ends, the grains break easily and turn into dust, without feeling hard, it has too much coal in it; or if, in pressing it under the fingers upon a smooth hard board, some grains feel harder than the rest, it is a sign the sulphur is not well d with the nitre. 3. Firing. Two or three small

mixe

heaps of powder are laid upon a sheet of white paper, and set fire to; if the flame of one heap does not communicate to the other, it is a sign of the good quality of the powder. 4. French method. A mortar of seven inches calibre is charged with a copper ball, weighing 60lbs. which 3 oz. of powder should cast to the distance of 300 feet. The range of projection being taken, determines the strength of the powder. 5. British. The following mode used by government, is by far the best; and is extremely correct and judicious. It consists in suspending a small cannon as a pendulum, and firing it with powder only. The force of the explosion is inferred from the recoil, which is a greater or less arc of a circle. Instruments contrived for the purpose of determining the strength of powder, are called Eprouvettes. A very simple and ingenious one, upon the principle just suggested, was invented by Dr. Hutton, and is described in the third volume of his Tracts" lately published. See also Manufac

tures.

HALBERT is a staff five feet long, with a steel head, somewhat like a crescent. This was anciently a common weapon in the army, and is still carried by the serjeants of foot. It was called the Danish axe, because first borne by the Danes; from the Danes it passed to the Scots; thence to the English, and afterwards to the French.

MORTAR is a short piece of ordnance, thick and wide, proper for throwing bombs, carcasses, shells, and stones. English mortars are usually fixed at an elevation of 45 degrees; but ours is the only nation that so fix them. The use of mortars is probably older than that of cannon: for they were employed in the wars of Italy to throw balls of red hot iron, and stones, long before the invention of shells. The Germans are generally believed to be the first inventors; and it is affirmed that they first used them at the siege of Naples in 1435. Shells were certainly thrown out of mortars at the siege of Wachtendorch, in Guelderland, in 1588, by the Earl of Mansfield. Shells were first invented by an unfortunate accident, by a citizen of Venlo, who, on a festival, celebrated in honour of the Duke of Cleve, threw a certain number, one of which fell on a house, and set fire to it, by which misfortune the greatest part of the city was reduced to ashes. Mr. Malter, an