Part 263

LOYAL. By a misapplication of terms has been perverted from its true signification, a person faithful to the law, loi, is loyal; it is made to signify, a person who, whether he regarded the law or not, was called loyal if he supported a king. Hence during the revolutionary war a regiment was formed, called Loyal American.

LOYALISTS. During the American war several Americans who betrayed their country, served in the British army; and at the conclusion of it many went over to England and received compensations for their perfidy to their country. The allowances made on this occasion were not, however, confined to those that had served; several families had their cases taken into consideration, and were provided for by the British government. These compensations did not however give any right to a military man to avail himself of the allowance on the score of half-pay; many of these persons have been since used as spies.

LUMIERE, Fr. Vent, touch-hole, aperture.

LUMIERE des pieces d’artillerie, des armes à feu, et de la plûpart des artifices, Fr. the vent or aperture through which fire is communicated to cannon, fire-arms, and to almost every species of artificial fireworks. In the making of cannon, it is of the utmost consequence to pay minute attention to the vent or touch-hole. It is in this part that pieces of ordnance are generally found defective, from the vent being too much widened by repeated firing, and the explosion of the gunpowder being necessarily weakened.

LUNETTE d’approche, Fr. a telescope. The French sometimes call them Lunettes de Galilèe, from the perspective glass or telescope having been invented by Galileo.

LUNETTE à facettes, Fr. a multiplying glass.

LUNETTE polyèdre. Fr. a magnifying glass.

LUNETTE à puce, Fr. a microscope.

LUNETTES, in fortification, are works made on both sides of the ravelin: one of their faces is perpendicular to half or two thirds of the faces of the ravelin; and the other nearly so to those of the bastions.

LUNETTES, are also works made beyond the second ditch, opposite to the place of arms: they differ from the ravelins only in their situation. See FORTIFICATION.

LUNETTONS, are a smaller sort of lunettes.

LUNGER-CONNA. A poor-house or hospital is so called in India.

LUNT. The matchcord with which cannon, &c. are fired.

LUNULÆ. (Lunules, Fr.) In geometry a half moon or crescent, which is made by the arcs of two intersecting circles. If you inscribe a triangle-rectangle within a half circle, the diameter of which becomes the hypothenuse; and if upon each side that compresses the right angle, as its diameter, you describe a half circle, the space in shape of a half moon, closed in by the circumference of each of these two circles, and by a part of the circumference of the great half circle, will form the figure called Lunula.

LUTTE, Fr. Struggle. An exercise of the body, which consists in a full exertion of all its muscular powers to overcome another body, that resists with equal force and pertinacity. This sort of exercise was much encouraged among the ancients. The wrestlers or lutteurs, were distinguished by the name of athletics.

LUXHEBAR. The Indian name for Thursday.

LUZERNE, Fr. Spanish trefoil, called likewise in English Lucerne. A species of hay, which is cultivated for the subsistence of horses. It bears a violet colored flower.

LYCANIANS, (Lycaniens, Fr.) A militia that was formerly raised in Sclavonia, the troops of which resemble the Pandours and Warasdins. It derives its name from being quartered in the neighborhood of the lordship of Lyka.

LYING, to be actually stationed or quartered in a given place.

In-LYING. This term is peculiarly applicable to pickets. A picket is said to be an In-lying picket when it is confined within the immediate lines of entrenchments belonging to a camp, or within the walls of a garrisoned town.

Out-LYING picket, is that which does duty without the limits of a camp or garrisoned town; that is, beyond the immediate sentries belonging to either. Those pickets are likewise called In-line and Out-line pickets.

Out-LYERS, the same as faggots in the line, or among the regulars. The term out-lyers was a term, however, peculiarly understood among the guards; and consisted of a certain number of men from each company, who were permitted to work, on condition that the whole of their pay was left in the hands of the captain, for the time they were so employed. This sum the officer appropriated to his own use, and was thereby enabled not only to increase his pay, but to keep a handsome table whenever he mounted guard. During the winter months the money arising from out-lyers amounted to a considerable sum. This was allowed as a sort of compensation for the expence the captain incurred by the dinner he gave to his subalterns; and for his contribution to the support of a regimental hospital. The custom is now abolished, as a table is kept by the king, and copiously paid for out of the civil list. The following anecdote, which is related to have occurred in the company that once belonged to the British general Gansell, (whom Junius notices in his letters) will shew the absurdity of the old custom, and the wisdom of its abolition:--A general muster being ordered, it was remarked that a soldier dressed in new regimentals, and perfectly unknown to every man in the company, stood to have his name called over: on being asked to whose company he belonged, he replied, to general Gansell’s: (it must be here observed, that the general had quitted the guards for some time.) Who is the present captain? was the next question, or who are the other officers? To which he briefly replied, I only know the pay-serjeant. The fact was, that he had been some years in the guards, and had constantly been an out-lyer.

It was a common practice and continues to be, though not to so great an extent as formerly, to place the names on the muster rolls of the children of officers, often their illegitimate children, and instances have occurred of girls, receiving men’s pay as out-lyers.

MAALER, Ind. A certificate, which is attested by the principal inhabitants of a town or village.

MACE. A heavy blunt weapon, having a metal head: a club.

MACHICOULIS, or Masse-coulis, Fr. In ancient, and sometimes in modern fortification, that upper part of the wall which is sustained by brackets or corbels, jets out and overlooks the gate or ditch.

When a place is besieged, detached parties of the garrison may be posted in the several machicoulises. Through the intervals of the corbels, or supporting brackets, they may easily observe every thing that passes at the foot of the wall; and if the besiegers should be hardy enough to penetrate as far, they may easily overwhelm them by throwing down large stones, combustible materials, hand-grenades or bombs. These brackets or supporters, which in ancient fortification were of a slight construction, might be made of solid materials. The machicoulis, in fact, is susceptible of great improvement; and in many instances might be adopted in order to defend the lower parts of angular forts or turrets.

MACHINES. Machines, Fr.