Part 505

To scour the TRENCHES, is to make a vigorous sally upon the guard of the trenches, force them to give way, and quit their ground, drive away the workmen, break down the parapet, fill up the trench, and spike their cannon.

Counter-TRENCHES, are trenches made against the besiegers; which consequently have their parapets turned against the enemy’s approaches, and are enfiladed from the several parts of the place, on purpose to render them useless to the enemy, if they should chance to become masters of them; but they should not be enfiladed, or commanded by any height in the enemy’s possession.

To open the TRENCHES, is to break ground for the purpose of carrying on approaches towards a besieged place.

TRENTE-six mois, Fr. Thirty-six months. A sea phrase. By this term was understood among the French, before the revolution, Un Engagé, a person who hired himself for that period to another, on condition that the latter defrayed his passage to the East Indies; after the expiration of which term the former was at liberty to settle in that country.

TREPAN, Fr. An instrument which is used to find out the quality of any ground into which beams or sticks are to be driven. Also an instrument used in surgery.

TREPIGNER, Fr.. To clatter. In horsemanship it is used to describe the action of a horse who beats the dust with his fore-feet in managing, without embracing the vault; who makes his motions and time short and near the ground, without being put upon his haunches. This defect is usually occasioned by a weakness in the shoulders.

TRESOR, Fr. The military chest.

TRESORIER, Fr. Paymaster. There were formerly on the French military establishment two classes of paymasters, viz. Trésoriers de l’ordinaire, et trésoriers de l’extraordinaire, paymasters or treasurers for the ordinary expences of the service, and ditto for the extraordinary. The latter were accountable to government for a just distribution of stores and provisions, and gave in their estimates and vouchers to the comptroller general’s office in Paris. These were formerly called Clercs du trésor ou payeurs, clerks attached to the military chest or paymasters. They were partly the same as our paymasters and commissaries-general on service.

During the monarchy in France there were several treasurers or paymasters-general in ordinary belonging to the army, who had their several departments, viz.

TRESORIERS de la gendarmerie et des troupes de la maison du roi, Fr. Treasurers or paymasters attached to the gens d’armes and the king’s household.

TRESORIERS de l’extraordinaire des guerres, Fr. Treasurers or paymasters of the extraordinaries of the army.

TRESORIERS des Maréchaussées de France, Fr. Treasurers or paymasters of the marshalsey or armed police of France.

TRESORIERS payeurs des troupes, Fr. Treasurers or paymasters-general of the forces.

TRESORIERS des gratifications, Fr. Treasurers or paymasters of compensations, gratuities, &c.

TRESORIERS de la prévôté de l’Hotel, Fr. Treasurers or paymasters of the provost-marshal’s department at the hotel or town hall in Paris.

Le TRESORIER général de l’artillerie, Fr. The treasurer or paymaster-general of the artillery.

Le TRESORIER général des fortifications, Fr. The treasurer or paymaster-general of fortifications.

All these treasurers or paymasters were subject to their several comptrollers of accounts, and their issues, &c. were audited accordingly. There were likewise provincial or subordinate paymasters of the extraordinaries of the army. They were appointed by the treasurers or paymasters-general, and resided in the different departments and general districts of the kingdom. These appointments fell, of course, at the revolution, and they have since been replaced by a more simple and economical consolidation. The artillery has still its separate treasurer or paymaster. The district paymasters, which have been established in Great Britain, &c. during the present war, seem manifestly to have taken their origin from the old French arrangement.

TREVET. Any thing that stands upon three legs. An iron instrument to set a pot or saucepan on over the fire. It is likewise used in field-ovens.

TREUIL, Fr. A roll, an axle-tree, &c.

TRIAIRES, Fr. See TRIARII.

TRIAL. Test, examination, experiment. It is in the power of the president to dismiss an officer from the regular, militia, or volunteer service, without any species of investigation or trial. See COURTS MARTIAL, &c.

TRIANGLE, (Triangle, Fr.) The triangle may be considered as the most simple of all figures. It is composed of three lines and three angles, and is either plain or spherical.

A plain TRIANGLE is one that is contained under three right lines.

A spherical TRIANGLE is a triangle that is contained under three arches of a great circle or sphere.

A right-angled TRIANGLE is one which has one right angle.

An acute-angled TRIANGLE is one that has all its angles acute.

An obtuse-angled TRIANGLE is that which has one obtuse angle.