Part 376

PONT tournant, Fr. a moveable bridge. It is of the nature of a drawbridge, with this difference, that it turns upon a pivot, and goes entirely round.

PONT de bois, Fr. a wooden bridge.

PONT de corde, Fr. a bridge of ropes.

PONT de jonc, Fr. a bridge of rushes.

PONT suspendu, Fr. a hanging bridge.

PONT de sortie, Fr. a sally bridge.

PONT dormant, Fr. a wooden bridge, which is generally laid upon the fosse of a fortified town, for the purpose of maintaining a constant communication between the main body of the place and the outworks and country round. These bridges are not thrown entirely across the fosses, but terminate within twelve or fifteen feet of the revetement; the space from thence is supplied by drawbridges. When the ponts dormans are very long, a swing bridge is constructed in the centre of it. When the ditches are wet, and so constantly supplied with water that the depth of it is generally the same, bridges of boats may be used instead of ponts dormans. And in cases of attack, floating bridges may be substituted in lieu of both.

PONTON, or PONTOON, a kind of flat bottomed boat, whose carcass of wood is lined within and without with tin: they serve to lay bridges over rivers for the artillery and army to march over. The French pontoons, and those of most other powers, are made of copper on the outside: though they cost more at first, yet they last much longer than those of tin; and, when worn out, the copper sells nearly for as much as it cost at first; but when that of tin are rendered useless, they sell for nothing. The British pontoons are 21 feet long, 5 feet broad, and depth within 2 feet 3 inches.

PONTOONS. Length at top, 21 feet 6 inches. Length at bottom, 17 feet 2 inches. Width, 4 feet 9 inches, or 5 feet. Depth, 2 feet 3 inches.

Equipage of one Pontoon.

ft. in. ft. in. in. 4 Baulks 22 8 long 1 0 wide 4 thick. 1 Gang-board. 22 0 ---- 1 0 ---- 2¹⁄₂ ---- 6 Cheeses, 11 6 ---- 2 4 ---- 1¹⁄₂ ---- 2 Oars. 1 Anchor. 1 Graplin. 1 Setter. 4 Iron bolts, with keys. 2 mounting bars. 4 Binding sticks. 4 Spring lines. 4 Faukes. 1 Cable. 1 Sheer-line. 1 Boat hook. 1 Maul. 4 Pickets. 1 Small pump. 1 Windlass. 1 Pontoon carriage, complete.

Dimensions of colonel Congreve’s Wooden Pontoons.

Length at top 26 feet. ---- at bottom 23 ---- Depth 2 8 inches. Width 2 3 ----

The common pontoons will support a weight of 4 or 5000 pounds. They are generally placed, in forming a bridge, about their own width asunder. See BRIDGE.

PONTOON carriage, was made with two wheels only, and two long side pieces, whose fore-ends are supported by a limber; and served to carry the pontoon, boards, cross timbers, anchors, and every other thing necessary for making a bridge; but better experience places them on four wheels.

PONTOON bridge, is made of pontoons, slipped into the water, and placed about five or six feet asunder; each fastened with an anchor, when the river has a strong current, or to a strong rope that goes across the river, running through the rings of the pontoons. Each boat has an anchor, cable, baulks, and chests. The baulks are about 5 or 6 inches square, and 21 feet long. The chests are boards joined together by wooden bars, about 3 feet broad, and 21 feet long. The baulks are laid across the pontoons at some distance from one another, and the chests upon them joined close; which makes a bridge, in a very short time, capable of supporting any weight.

POOLBUNDY, Ind. a dam to prevent inundations; an embankment; a dyke.

POONA, Ind. a day fixed for the Zemindars to bring in their balances for the year.

POONEA, Ind. the Indian name of a month.

POOR, indigent, necessitous, oppressed with want.

POOR in resources and expedients, of a limited conception; of a narrow understanding; unequal to an arduous enterprise.

POOR or PORE, Ind. when it terminates a word, means town, or city; as Viziapore, &c.

POOSE, Ind. the name of a month following Aughun: it in some degree accords with December and January.

POOSHTAY Bundee, Ind. embankments of rivers. It likewise means bridges thrown over rivers.

POOSKUT, Ind. a small weight, measuring eight koonchys, or sixty four handfuls; one koonchy being equal to eight handfuls.

PORSTICK method, in mathematics, is that which determines when, by what means, and how many different ways, any problem may be resolved.

PORPHYRE, Fr. porphyry. A fine red marble.

PORT, Fr. a harbor.