Part 324

NAILS of various sorts are used in artillery. See CARRIAGE.

Garnish NAILS, in travelling carriages, have pointed heads like diamonds, with a small narrow neck: they serve to fasten the plates with roses, to cover the sidepieces from the ends of the trunnion-plates to 5 or 6 inches beyond the centre of the carriage.

Diamond headed NAILS, small nails, whose heads are made like a flat diamond, and serve to fix the plates upon travelling carriages.

Rose bud NAILS, are small round headed nails, driven in the centre of the roses of the plates.

Counter sunk NAILS, those that have flat round heads, sunk into the iron plates, so as to be even with the outside of it.

Streak NAILS, are those which fasten the streaks to the fellies of the wheels.

Box pin NAILS, small nails without heads, to pin the nave boxes, to the naves.

Stub NAILS, are driven on the outside of the nave hoops, to keep them in their places.

Flat headed NAILS, to fasten the locker or any sort of hinges.

Dog NAILS, have flat round heads; and one part of the shank next to the head is also round.

To NAIL, spike, or cloy, cannon, enclouer le canon, Fr. When circumstances make it necessary to abandon cannon, or when the enemy’s artillery are seized, and it is not however possible to take them away; it is proper to nail them up, in order to render them useless; which is done by driving a large nail or iron spike into the vent of a piece of artillery, to render it unserviceable. There are various contrivances to force the nail out, as also sundry machines invented for that purpose, but they have never been found of general use; so that the best method is to drill a new vent.

One Gasper Vimercalus was the first who invented the nailing of cannon. He was a native of Bremen, and made use of his invention first in nailing up the artillery of Sigismund Malatesta.

NAIRS, a native military tribe of the Malabar coast. They affirm that they are the oldest nobility in the world. Their pride on this supposition is greater than that of Rajpoots. In 1755, the king of Travancore, with the assistance of a French officer, called Launoy, disciplined 10,000 Naires in the method of European infantry.

NAGARKANNA, Ind. the place where all the drums and war music are kept.

NAUKODA. A native captain or pilot so called in India.

NANA, Ind. the title which is given to a chief of the Marattahs. It more properly signifies the acting head of the government, and general of the forces.

NAPPE de feu, Fr. See JETS DE FEU.

NARROW, of small breadth.

NARROW Front. A battalion, &c. is said to assume a narrow front, when it goes from line into column, upon the safe principles of compression.

The NARROWS, an important position on the entrance of the Hudson’s river, N. York; strong works are erecting there, at the expence of that state.

The NARROW, a channel which runs between the Margate sands and the Main.

NASIR-JUNG, Ind. victorious, or triumphant in war.

NATION, a people; also a country. As the American nation, the French nation. It is more generally used in the first sense; as, The nation at large seems disposed to resist every attempt that the British may make to reduce us to our former condition of colonies; and to maintain the freedom of the seas.

NATIONAL, that which concerns or belongs to a whole nation.

NATIONAL troops, are those raised under the authority of Congress, in contradistinction to the Militia, which may be called States troops, being organized by the several States.

NATIVE, in general, denotes a person born in a certain place, but more particularly it refers to the proper residence of the parents, and where the person has his education.

NATIVE Cavalry, a body of troops so called in India, in contradistinction to the European regiments. According to the regulations printed at Calcutta in 1797, each regiment was directed to have six troops, consisting of two captains, one captain-lieutenant, six lieutenants, three cornets, two serjeants, six subidars, six jemidars, 18 havildars, 18 naicks, six trumpeters, 420 troopers, six puckallies. The staff consists of one adjutant, one quarter-master, one paymaster, one surgeon’s mate, one serjeant-major, one quarter-master serjeant, one drill havildar, one drill naick, one trumpeter-major, six pay-havildars, six farriers, and one native doctor.

Each regiment to be commanded by a· field officer.