Part 181

GESTURE, a motion of the body intended to signify some idea, or passion of the mind. All officers and soldiers who make use of any menacing gesture before a commanding or superior officer, or before a court-martial, are liable to be punished by the laws of war.

GEZE, Fr. a rentrant angle, which is made with slate or lead, and forms a gutter between two roofs. It is likewise called noue, or pantile.

GHERIAH, a port on the Malabar Mahrattah coast of Hindustan, the capital part of Angria’s dominions, which consisted of an extent of coast, from whence this warlike state was a perpetual source of uneasiness to the trading ships of all the European nations in India. It cost the English East-India company 50,000l. annually to protect their own ships. Eight or ten grabs, and forty or fifty gallivats, crowded with men, generally composed Angria’s principal fleet in 1754, destined to attack ships of force or burthen. The vessel no sooner came in sight of the port or bay where the fleet was lying, than they slipped their cables and put out to sea. If the wind blew, their construction enabled them to sail almost as fast as the wind; and if it was calm, the gallivats rowing towed the grabs: when within cannon shot of the chace, they generally assembled in her wake, and the grabs attacked her at a distance with their prow guns, firing first only at the masts, and taking aim when the three masts of the vessel just opened all together to their view; by which means the shot would probably strike one or other of the three. As soon as the chase was dismasted, they came nearer, and battered her on all sides until she struck: and if the defence was obstinate, they sent a number of gallivats, with two or three hundred men in each, who boarded sword in hand from all quarters in the same instant.

The English trusting to the report of the natives, had until the year 1756, believed Gheriah to be at least as strong as Gibraltar, and like that situated on a mountain which was inaccessible from the sea, for this reason it was resolved to send vessels to reconnoitre it; which service commodore James, in the Protector, with two other ships, performed. He found the enemy’s fleet at anchor in the harbor, notwithstanding which, he approached within cannon shot of the fort, and having attentively considered it, returned at the end of December to Bombay, and described the place, such as it truly was, very strong indeed, but far from being inaccessible or impregnable. This place was taken by the English troops under the command of colonel Clive. There were found in it 200 pieces of cannon, six brass mortars, and a great quantity of ammunition, and military and naval stores of all kinds; the money and effects of other kinds, amounted to 1,200,000l. sterling. All this booty was divided amongst the captors, without any reserve either for the nation, or the company. In less than a month the English, with their allies the Mahrattas got possession of all the territories wrested from the latter by Angria’s predecessors, and which they had for seventy years despaired of ever being able to recover.

GIBERNE, Fr. a sort of bag in which the grenadiers held their hand-grenades. It was worn like a powder flask. They likewise carried, independent of this bag, a cartouch box containing 18 or 20 charges.

GIBRALTAR, a strong fortress of Andalusia, in Spain. Gibraltar was formerly thought to be impregnable; but it was taken by Sir George Rooke in 1704, and has remained in the hands of the English ever since. It has been several times attacked by the Spaniards, who have always been unsuccessful. Their last effort to recover it was made September 13th, 1782, with floating batteries, in which were mounted 212 brass cannon and mortars. The French united with the Spaniards on this memorable occasion; and the brother to the last king of the French, (then Count D’Artois) commanded the camp of St. Roche, from whence the offensive operations were directed. General Elliot, (afterwards called lord Heathfield) had prepared a great number of red-hot balls against the attack; and these so effectually destroyed the floating batteries, that the Spaniards were greatly annoyed, and relinquished the enterprize. For particulars, see Drinkwater’s siege of Gibraltar.

GIN, in military mechanics, is a machine for raising great weights: it is composed of 3 long legs, 2 of which are kept at a proper distance by means of 2 iron bars fixed on one of the legs by a staple passing through a hole at one end: the other end has a hook which enters into a staple fixed into the other leg so as to be taken off or put on at pleasure.

At 3 feet from the bottom is a roller, upon which the cable was wound; and the 3 legs are joined together with an iron bolt, about which they move: to this bolt, is also fixed an iron half-ring to hook on a windlass: when the gin stands upright, so as the legs stand at a proper distance, one end of the cable is fastened to a gun, mortar, or other weight; and the other passes through the pullies and about the roller, which is turned round by means of hand-spikes passing through the holes in the ends of the roller: whilst a man holds the cable tight, the gun is raised to the height required, so that the carriage may be put under it.

GIN Triangle--Length of arms of the gin 16 feet 4¹⁄₂ inches. Roller, 6 feet long. Tackle fall, 78 feet of 3 inch white rope. Sling, 6 inch white rope.

The newly constructed gin, by having one half of the roller of a greater diameter than the other, gives a new power, that of elevating or lowering the object in a greater or lesser proportion, according to the end of the cylinder upon which the cable is fixed.

For the different exercises of the gin, see the word EXERCISE.

GINCE, a place in India, situated 35 miles N. W. of Pondicherry.

GINJAULS or GINGAULS, an East Indian name, signifying large musquets used with a rest, somewhat similar to those invented by Marshal Vauban, for the defence of forts.

GIRANDE, Fr. the chief cluster, or assemblage of an artificial firework, with which a shew or illumination is generally concluded.

A girande may be made by uniting several chests or clusters together, and securing with a match of communication, a regular inflammation.

GIRANDOLE, Fr. literally, a chandelier; a cluster of diamonds.

GIRANDOLES, Fr. circles ornamented with fusees. They are used in fireworks. See SOLEILS tournans.

GIROUETTES, Fr. Weathercocks, vanes. They are seldom or ever used on shore, except as weathercocks on tops of church-steeples, &c.

GIROUETTE in the singular number, likewise means figuratively light, inconstant, not to be depended upon. As ce jeune officier est aussi girouette que ce coutume. This young officer is as light as usual.

GISTES, pieces of wood which are made use of in the construction of platforms to batteries, and upon which the madriers or broad planks are placed.

GLACIS. See FORTIFICATION.

GLACIS d’une corniche, Fr. a waterfall, or insensible slope which is made upon the cymatium (a member of architecture, whereof one half is convex, and the other concave) of a cornish.

GLADIATOR, GLADIATEUR, Fr. a sword player, a prize fighter. The old Romans were accustomed to make their slaves fight with one another at their public festivals, and the only weapon they used, was a gladine or sword. This barbarous usage was abolished by the emperor Theodoric in the year of Christ 500; but it prevailed among the ancient Britons, and in England to a much later date.

GLAIS militaire, Fr. a military compliment which was paid to the remains of a deceased general. It consisted in a discharge of ordnance. In a civil sense, it means the chiming of bells at the death of a parish priest.

GLAISE, Fr. clay, or potter’s earth.

GLAISER, Fr. to do over with potter’s earth, or clay.

GLAIVE, a broad sword, or falchion, anciently so called.

Le GLAIVE de la justice, the sword of justice.