Part 437

SABRER, Fr. To cut to pieces.

SAC d’une ville, Fr. The storming and plunder of a town.

Mettre une ville à SAC, Fr. To give a town up to the plunder of the soldiers.

SAC, Fr. a bag

SAC à poudre, Fr. A bag of gunpowder. These bags are frequently used in war, for the purpose of intimidating an enemy, and of setting fire to places. They are of different sizes and dimensions; some to be thrown by the hand, and others out of a mortar. A French work, intituled le Bombardier Francois, gives a full account of both.

SAC à terre, Fr. Sand-bags, or bags filled with earth.

SAC à amorce, Fr. A small leathern bag which is used for the purpose of carrying gunpowder to the different batteries to prime the pieces.

SAC à laine, Fr. A bag made of or stuffed with wool and other soft materials. It is larger than a sand-bag. Every army should be provided with a certain quantity of these bags, in order to supply the want of soil on critical occasions.

Un havre SAC. A knapsack. See HAVRESACK.

Cul de SAC, Fr. A street or passage that has no outlet.

SACCADE, Fr. In the manege, a violent check or jirk, which the horseman gives his horse by drawing both the reins very suddenly. This is practised when the horse bears too heavy on the hand; but it ought to be done with great caution, as the frequency of it must eventually spoil the horse’s mouth.

SACHET, Fr. A pouch. It likewise signifies a bag in the diminutive sense. A satchel.

SACHETS de mitrailles, Fr. Small bags filled with grape-shot, which are afterwards fired from cannon, or thrown out of mortars.

SACHETS de balles de plomb, Fr. Bags of bullets.

SACKS. See BAGS.

SACKERS. They who sack a town.

SACRE ou Sacret, Fr. A name formerly given to pieces of ordnance that carried balls of 4 to 5lb. weight. Each piece weighed from two thousand five hundred to two thousand eight hundred pounds. The same as Saker.

SADDLE. The seat which is put upon a horse for the accommodation of the rider.

SAFE-guard, in military affairs, a protection granted by a general, for some of the enemy’s lands, houses, persons, &c. to preserve them from being insulted or plundered. See GUARD.

SAFYNAMA, Ind. A certificate or writing, specifying any matter of dispute, which it is found necessary to have settled or cleared up.

SAGITTAL, belonging to an arrow.

SAGITTARIUS, or SAGITTARY. See ARCHER, BOWMAN.

SAGO, Ind. A tree of the palm species. A flour is made from this tree, which formed into bread and fresh baked, eats like hot rolls; when it grows stale it becomes hard, and requires to be soaked in water before it can be used. Three of the trees are found sufficient to give sustenance for one man during a whole year; and an acre properly planted, will supply food for one hundred for that period.

SAGUM. A woollen garment, which was formerly worn by the Roman soldiers when they took the field. It is said that the Gauls adopted the use of it.

SAH, Ind. A banker.

SAHEB, Ind. (pronounced Saib.) Master, sir.

SAHOOKER, Ind. A merchant.

SAIGNEE du fossé, Fr. The act of drawing off the water which is in the ditch or fosse of a town or fortified place. When this has been executed, clays or hurdles covered with earth, or bridges made with reeds, must be thrown upon the mud, to establish a firm footing.