Part 230

The seimenys usually do duty in camp and garrison. For although the Turks place little confidence in christians, yet there have been instances wherein their services have been required on very important occasions. At the siege of Vienna they employed Christian troops, and increased their infantry by those means very considerably; they even formed a reserve from troops of that description; and their conduct was such, that they acquired a marked reputation by the obstinate resistance which they made at Colemberg.

These troops, however, are in general ill-armed; having only rough polished sabres, and very indifferent arquebusses with locks, or bad fusils of different sizes, and consequently of little use in the hands of such men.

The Lagumgys are what we call miners: This body is chiefly composed of Armenians and christians, out of Greece or Bosnia, who being in the habit of mining, are extremely serviceable in that line, and act under the immediate direction of some old officers called lagumgys-baschys or chiefs of the miners. Some particular privileges are annexed to these appointments.

The Musellims are christian tributaries, whose duty is to march before the advanced guard of the army, to clear the roads and to construct bridges for the passage of the troops. On this account they are called pioneers.

The bachas of the different Turkish towns pay great attention to these musellims or pioneers. They not only exempt them from all taxes, but even give them lands and freeholds. By a particular privilege which is attached to this corps, only five out of thirty are obliged to do duty on a march, and they are then joined to the carpenters, which renders the service less fatiguing. Their number is not fixed. It depends indeed, more or less, upon the population of the different provinces, and on the extent of land which may be disposed of in their favor.

They are commanded by a bas-musellim or principal person belonging to the exempts, whose only duty is to superintend the regular discharge of their functions.

Those, however, belonging to Natolia are subject to the bey or sangiah, who superintends the distribution of their subsistence, &c. in the same manner that he does that of the cavalry which is attached to his department.

The only weapon they carry is a hatchet; but the neighboring villages or the public magazines belonging to the artillery, are obliged to supply them with pickaxes and other tools that may be wanted in their profession. They are strictly forbidden the use of a sabre or fusil.

Whenever the Turkish army is on its march, the musellims are obliged to go forward every preceding day, in order to prepare the way for its progress.

During a siege they are frequently attached to the garrison guns, which they work in the best manner they can; and when a town is besieged by the Turks, the musellims are employed in the trenches, from which duty they derive considerable profit; so much so, that the Janizaries are extremely jealous of them on these occasions. They are, in a word, the most formidable body of infantry which the Turks possess; for the groundwork of every species of attack or defence, and the management of all warlike machines rest upon their exertions.

The INFERNAL. Strada gives a very curious and interesting account of this machine, in his history of the Belgic war.

The infernal was tried by the English at Dunkirk and St. Maloes, and by the Dutch and English under king William. It is likewise mentioned by Grose in his history of the English army.

The only time during the present war at which its dreadful powers have been attempted, was in the month of December, 1800, when a conspiracy was formed and emissaries under the direction of one Jackson, sent from London to destroy Bonaparte. It failed as to its immediate objects, but proved by its collateral effects, that the invention is as destructive as the most sanguine destroyer of the human race could wish.

To INFEST, infester, Fr. This word is more strictly applicable to places than to things.

To INFEST a place (infester un lieu) signifies to frequent any particular spot for the evident purpose of doing damage, to create uneasiness and to commit depredations. Thus free-booters or thieves are said to infest places.

INFINIMENT PETIT, Fr. Infinitely small. Modern calculators call, by this name, every thing which is so exiguous that it cannot be compared to any other quantity, or which is smaller than any other assignable quantity. The new calculation which has been adopted among geometricians respecting quantities that are infinitely small; is called the calculation of infinitesimals.

INFIRMARY. See HOSPITAL.

INFLUENCE of example. In a military sense the influence of example is of the greatest consequence. We have already spoken generally on the necessity of good example (see EXAMPLE); we think it proper further to observe, that the influence which every action of a commanding officer bears, is of so much importance to the service, as to render it incumbent upon every superior person to consider its effects upon the mind and conduct of an inferior. A circumstance once occurred, which is frequently quoted. It was briefly this: an officer happening to appear upon the parade without being strictly uniform as to dress, was ordered to fall out. Some little time after the commanding officer (by whom the subaltern had been noticed) was himself irregularly dressed; the latter availed himself of an opportunity to mention the circumstance in a familiar and good-humored manner; upon which the former very shrewdly replied--It is true, sir, that I am not strictly in uniform to-day, but you will be pleased to recollect, that I have the commanding officer’s leave. The repartee was not amiss, as it conveyed at the same time a sound piece of advice to every inferior officer; but it did not justify the deviation. An admiral, from motives, we conceive, of duty, as well as principles of economy, was so tenacious of regularity, that rather than appear not strictly correct, he has been known to have a second naval uniform, made of coarse flannel, which he constantly wore on board. Notwithstanding this laudable instance, it is well known, that both in the army and navy, the repartee of the commanding officer has been frequently used.

INFORMERS. Soldiers who give information of false musters, or of pay illegally detained, are entitled to their discharge. See MUTINY ACT, sections 27 and 69.

INGINEER. See ENGINEER.

INGENIEUR, Fr. Ingineer. See ENGINEER.

INGENIEUR par rapport à l’architecture civile, Fr. An engineer who may be properly called an adept in civil architecture. A person of this description was always employed among the French. He was a skilful and intelligent man, perfectly master of mechanics; by which means he could invent machines for the purpose of increasing propellents, so as either to draw or to raise heavy loads with facility, or to elevate and direct the course of waters.

INGENIEUR en architecture militaire, Fr. An engineer who is perfectly master of military architecture. The term itself points out, that the requisite qualifications are ingenuity, skill, and an apt talent at invention. The French, in former times, made use of the word ingeigneur instead of ingenieur; deriving the former from engin, which originally signified a machine amongst them, and has since been adopted by us. All warlike machines, such as cannons, &c. were, in fact, called engines, because they were, for the most part, invented by engineers. So that even the word engin, Fr. and engine comes from the Latin engenium, or invention. These machines were, indeed, frequently called in bad Latin ingenia. Hence the etymology of ingenieur. The situation of ingenieur, among the French, has always been deemed extremely honorable. They have always risen to the highest posts in the army, and their skill and judgment have always been thought indispensibly necessary in all the operations of war. We have already pointed out, under the article ENGINEER, the outlines of this important character. We only regret, that the limits of our undertaking will not admit the very sensible observations which are to be found under the head INGENIEUR in several French publications.

The French, and after them several other nations, have formed their engineers into select corps; the French call them corps de Genie.

INGENIEUR Directure, Fr. A responsible person in the old French service, whose duty was to superintend and take charge of a certain number of fortified towns or places, and to transmit a regular account of the actual state of the works, and to represent whatever might appear defective, or stand in need of repair.

INGENIEUR en Chef, Fr. chief engineer. It was the business of this officer to superintend the construction of all sorts of military works, having several subordinate engineers under him to assist and put his plans into execution. In order to make some distinction between the man of skill and genius, and the mere pretenders to knowlege in this great branch of military acquirements, it was usual, during the monarchy of France, to call all engineers that were acknowleged by government, ingenieurs ordinaires du roi, engineers in ordinary to the king.

The usual pay of the French engineers was, from vingt ecus or two pounds ten shillings up to one hundred ecus or 4l. 10s. English, per month, according to each individual’s length of service, peculiar talents, or appointment. Persons were received as engineers by the superintendant of the board of ordnance, after having passed a mathematical examination; and the situation was the more eagerly sought after, inasmuch as it led to the highest military post; as that of marshal of France, to which the celebrated Vauban was promoted.

In 1755, the French engineers were formed into one corps, under the name of the royal corps of artillery and engineers; the principal officers of which communicated with the secretary of war, and received through him the king’s orders.