Part 276

Fire.--Pull the trigger strong with the middle finger, and, as soon as fired, bring the firelock to the priming position, about the height of the stomach: the rest, as in the explanation of priming and loading, with this difference only, that the left foot is to be drawn up to the right, at the same time that the firelock is brought down to the priming position, and that immediately after the firelock is thrown up to the shoulder, the men spring to the left again, and cover their file leaders.

Rear rank.--Make ready.--Recover and cock, as before directed for the centre rank, and, as the firelock is brought to recover, step briskly to the right a full pace, at the same time placing the left heel about six inches before the point of the right foot. The body to be kept straight, and as square to the front as possible.

Aim.--As in explanation for the centre rank.

Fire.--As in explanation for the centre rank; after firing and shouldering, the men step as the centre rank does.

In firing with the front rank standing, that rank makes ready, &c. as specified in the article relative to the platoon exercise.

Officers.--In giving words of command, as well in as out of the ranks, officers are to stand perfectly steady, and in their proper position; their swords held firmly in the full of the right hand, with the upper part of the blade resting against the shoulder, the right wrist against the hip, and the elbow drawn back.

Firing by platoons.--Officers, &c.--The officers, instead of giving the words platoon, make ready, aim, fire, are to pronounce the words short, as for instance, ’toon, ready, aim, fire.

In firing by platoons, or divisions, the officers commanding them are to step out one pace, on the close of the preparative, and face to the left towards their men; they there stand perfectly steady till the last part of the general, when they step back again into their proper intervals, all at the same time. After a division has fired, the right hand man of it steps out one pace, in front of the officer, but still keeping his own proper front, and gives the time for casting about and shouldering, after which he falls back again into his place in the front rank.

The flugle man of a battalion is also to keep his front, in giving the time of exercise.

In firing by grand divisions, the centre officer falls back, on the preparative, into the fourth rank, and is replaced by the covering serjeant.

MANUBALISTE, Fr. From the Latin manubalista. A cross bow.

MANUFACTURES d’armes, Fr. Places appropriated for the manufacturing of arms. During the old government of France, three places were appropriated for the manufacturing of arms; one at Maubeuge, one at Charleville and Nourzon, and the third at St. Etienne en Foret. These were called royal manufactories of arms for public service. A director general superintended the whole, to whom every person concerned in the undertaking was subject, and who was himself subordinate to those artillery inspectors and comptrollers, that were severally appointed by the grand master of the ordnance and the secretary at war.

The United States have manufactories of arms at Harpers ferry, on Potomac; at Springfield, Massachusetts; at Washington City; and at Rocky Mount, S. Carolina.

MAP, in a military and geographical sense, is a plane figure, representing the surface of the earth, or a part thereof, according to the laws of perspective; distinguishing the situation of cities, mountains, rivers, roads, &c.

In maps these three things are essentially necessary. 1. That all places have the same situation and distance from the great circles therein, as on the globe, to show their parallels, longitudes, zones, climates, and celestial appearances. 2. That their magnitudes be proportionable to the real magnitudes on the globes. 3. That all places have the same situation, bearing, and distance, as on the earth itself.

MAPS are either universal, which exhibit the whole surface of the earth; or partial, which exhibit some particular part thereof: each kind is called geographical or land-maps, in contradistinction to hydrographical or sea-maps, representing the seas and sea-coasts, properly called charts.

As a map is a representation of some part of the surface of the earth delineated upon a plane, the earth, being round, no part of the spherical surface of it can be accurately exhibited upon a plane; and therefore some have proposed globular maps. For this purpose a plate of brass might be hammered, or at a less expence a piece of paste-board might be formed into a segment of a sphere, and covered on its convex side with a map projected in the same manner as the papers of the common globe are. A map made in this method would show every thing in the same manner, as it would be seen upon a globe of the same diameter with the sphere upon the segment of which it was delineated: and, indeed, maps of this sort would in effect be segments of such a globe; but they are not in common use.

The ancients described all parts of the known earth in one general map. In this view one of them compares the shape of the earth to the leather of a sling, whose length exceeds its breadth: the length of the then known parts of the earth from east to west was considerably greater than from north to south; for which reason, the former of these was called the longitude, and the other the latitude.

The modern general maps are such as give us a view of an entire hemisphere, or half of the globe; and are projected upon the plane of some great circle, which terminates the projected hemisphere, and divides it from the other half of the globe, at the equator, the meridian, or horizon of some place. From the circle the projection is denominated, and said to be equatorial, meridionial, or horizontal.

Particular maps are such as exhibit to us less than an hemisphere; of this sort are maps of the great quarters into which the earth is divided, as Europe, Asia, Africa, and America; or maps of particular nations, provinces, countries, or of lesser districts.

A particular map is a part of a general one, and may be made upon the same principles, as by projecting a large hemisphere, and taking so much of it as the map is designed to contain. When we are to delineate a map of the smaller part of the earth, if it be near the equator, the meridians and parallels may be represented by equi-distant straight lines; if at some distance from the equator, the parallels may be equi-distant straight lines, and the meridian straight lines, a little converging towards the nearest pole; or the meridians may be straight lines, converging towards the nearest pole, and the parallels circular.

When we are to make a map of a very small district, as of a county or town, whatever part of the earth it be in, the meridians and parallels may be equidistant straight lines, drawn through every minute, &c. of longitude, in proportion as the largeness of the map will allow. See PLOTTING and SURVEYING.

The use of maps is obvious from their construction. The degrees of the meridians and parallels shew the longitude and latitude of places; their bearings from each other appear from inspection; and their distance from each other may be measured by the divisions on the meridian, equator, or scales. GEOGRAPHY.

MARAUDE, Fr. The act of marauding. This word specifically means the theft or depredation which a soldier commits against the peasantry of the country, and for which offence, he is punished with death in all foreign services.

MARAUDEUR, Fr. A marauder. This term is now strictly English. Its signification, however, is generally the same in all services. Any soldier that steals out of camp, armed or unarmed, for the purpose of pillaging the country, is a marauder, and is liable, upon conviction, to be punished with death, or such other punishment as by a general court-martial shall be awarded.

Aller en MARAUDE, means to go out marauding.

MARAUDING, in a military sense, the act of plundering, which is generally committed by a party of soldiers, who, without any order, go into the neighboring houses or villages, when the army is either in camp or in garrison, to pilfer and destroy, &c. Marauders are a disgrace to the camp, to the military profession, and deserve no better quarters from their officers than they give to poor peasants, &c. Marauding is also applied to plundering at sea; thus the Barbary Corsairs, and the British navy are systematic marauders.

MARC, Fr. A weight equal to eight ounces. In France, it is usual for silversmiths and jewellers to take a marc at that standard, but when articles of greater bulk and grosser quality than those they deal in, are brought to the scale, the marc contains 16 ounces to the pound. All stores and ammunition were appreciated by this measure.