Part 59

BEDS for Mortars.

+-------------+------------+------------+--------+-------+---------+ | KINDS. | Weight. | Tonnage. | Len. | Br. | Ht. | +-------------+------------+------------+--------+-------+---------+ | |cwt. qr. lb.|ts. cwt. qr.|ft. in. |ft. in.|ft. in. | | Sea | 38 3 13| 3 3 2 | | | | |13{ Land Wood| 21 2 7| 1 6 0 | 7 0 | 2 6 | 2 3 | | { Do. Iron | 50 0 0| 2 10 0 | 6 3 | 3 1 | 1 6 | | Sea | 32 2 14| 2 2 2 | | | | |10{ Land Wood| 10 0 20| 0 14 2 | 6 6 | 1 8 | 1 10 | | { Do. Iron | 23 0 0| 1 3 0 | 4 8 | 2 4 | 1 1¹⁄₂| | 8 {Land Wood| 6 0 20| 0 7 2 | 4 2 | 1 7 | 1 7¹⁄₂| | {Do. Iron | 12 0 0| 0 12 0 | 4 0 | 1 11 | 0 11 | |5¹⁄₂ Wood | 1 0 22| 0 2 0 | 2 9 | 1 4 | 0 10 | |4²⁄₅ Wood | 0 3 11| 0 1 2 | 2 4¹⁄₂| 1 2 | 0 9 | +-------------+------------+------------+--------+-------+---------+

Stool-BEDS for guns.

+------+------+---------+----+-------------+---- | | | | Inch. | In. +------+------+---------+----+-------------+---- 42 Prs.|0 1 20|0 1 0 |2 10|11 to 8³⁄₄|3³⁄₄ 32 ----|0 1 14|0 1 0 |2 10|10 5¹⁄₂|3¹⁄₄ 24 ----|0 1 14|0 1 0 |2 9|10¹⁄₄ 6¹⁄₂|4 18 ----|0 1 12|0 1 0 |2 8| 9¹⁄₂ 6¹⁄₂|3³⁄₄ 12 ----|0 1 10|0 0 2²⁄₃ |2 8|10 6¹⁄₂|4 9 ----|0 1 4|0 0 2 |2 7| 9¹⁄₂ 5³⁄₄|3¹⁄₂ 6 ----|0 1 0|0 0 1³⁄₄ |2 6| 9 4³⁄₄|3¹⁄₂ 4 ----|0 1 0|0 0 1 |2 6| 8¹⁄₄ 5¹⁄₄| +------+------+---------+----+-------------+----

Sea-Mortar-BEDS, are made of solid timber, having a hole in the centre to receive the pintle or strong iron bolt, about which the bed turns. Sea-mortars are mounted on these beds, on board of the bomb-ketches.

These beds are placed upon very strong timber frames, fixed into the bomb-ketch, in which the pintle is fixed, so as the bed may turn about it, to fire any way. The fore part of these beds is an arc of a circle described from the same centre as the pintle-hole.

Stool-BED, is a piece of wood on which the breech of a gun rests upon a truck-carriage, with another piece fixed to it at the hind end, that rests upon the body of the hind axle-tree; and the fore part is supported by an iron bolt. See CARRIAGE.

BEEF-Eaters, the yeomen of the guard to the king of Great Britain are so called, being kept up rather for pageantry, than for any military service. Their arms are a sabre and lance; and the dress of the 13th century.

BEETLES, in a military sense, are large wooden hammers for driving down pallisades, and for other uses, &c.

BEETLESTOCK, the stock or handle of a beetle.

BELLIGERENT, in a state of warfare. Hence any two or more nations at war are called belligerent powers.

BELTS, in the army are of different sorts, and for various purposes, viz.

Sword-BELT, a leathern strap in which a sword hangs.

Shoulder-BELT, a leathern belt, which goes over the shoulder, and to which the pouch is fixed. It is made of stout leather. See POUCH.

Shoulder-BELTS for the light cavalry and dragoons, 2¹⁄₂ inches broad. Regiments that have buff waistcoats, usually have buff-coloured accoutrements, and those which have white waistcoats, wear white.

Waist-BELTS, are 1³⁄₄ inches; to have buckles or clasps.

BELTS are known among the ancient and middle-age writers by divers names, as zona, cingulum, reminiculum, ringa, and baldrellus. The belt was an essential piece of the ancient armor, insomuch that we sometimes find it used to denote the whole armor. In latter ages the belt was given to a person when he was raised to knighthood: whence it has also been used us a badge or mark of the knightly order.

BELTS among the aborigines of America, are the symbols of peace or war; they are made in a rude fanciful taste, of colored beads, and are usually presented at all conferences or talks.

BENDINGS, in military and sea matters, are ropes, wood, &c. bent for several purposes. M. Amontons gives several experiments concerning the bending of ropes. The friction of a rope bent, or wound round an immovable cylinder, is sufficient, with a very small power, to sustain very great weights. Divers methods have been contrived for bending timber, in order to supply crooked planks and pieces for building ships; such as by sand, boiling water, steam of boiling water, and by fire. See M. Du Hamel, in his book called Du Transport, de la Conservation, & de la Force des Bois. M. Delesme ingeniously enough proposed to have the young trees bent, while growing in the forest. The method of bending planks by sand-heat, now used in the British navy yards, was invented by captain Cumberland.

A method has been lately invented and practised for bending pieces of timber, so as to make the wheels of carriages without joints. The bending of boards, and other pieces of timber for curved works in joinery, is effected by holding them to the fire, then giving them the figure required, and keeping them in this figure by tools for the purpose.

BENEFICIARII, in ancient military history, denotes soldiers who attend the chief officers of the army, being exempted from all other duty. In the American service called waiters; each commissioned officer being allowed one.

BENEFICIARII were also soldiers discharged from the military service or duty, and provided with beneficia to subsist on.

BERM, in fortification, is a little space or path, of about 3, 4, 6, or 8 feet broad, according to the height and breadth of the works, between the ditch and the parapet, when made of turf, to prevent the earth from rolling into the ditch; and serves likewise to pass and repass.

To BESIEGE, to lay siege to or invest any place with armed forces.

BESIEGERS, the army that lays siege to a fortified place.

BESIEGED, the garrison that defends the place against the army that lays siege to it. See SIEGE.

To BETRAY, to deliver perfidiously any place or body of troops into the hands of the enemy. To discover that which has been entrusted to secrecy.

BETTY, a machine used for forcing open gates or doors. See PETARD.