Part 109

MUSTER-ROLL, (_état nominatif_, _Fr._) a specific list of the officers and men in every regiment, troop, or company, which is delivered to the muster-master, regimental or district paymaster, (as the case may be) whereby they are paid, and their condition is known. The names of the officers are inscribed according to rank, those of the men in alphabetical succession. Adjutants of regiments make out a muster roll, and when the list is called over, every individual must answer to his name. Every muster-roll must be signed by the colonel or commanding officer, the paymaster and adjutant of each regiment, troop, or company: it must likewise be sworn to by the muster-master or paymaster, (as the case may be) before a justice of the peace, previous to its being transmitted to government.

MUSTI. One born of a mulatto father or mother, and a white father or mother.

MUTILATED. In a military sense, signifies wounded in such a manner as to lose the use of a limb. A battalion is said to be mutilated, when its divisions, &c. stand unequal.

MUTINE, _or_ MUTINEER, a soldier guilty of mutiny.

MUTINY, in a _military sense_, to rise against authority. Any officer or soldier who shall presume to use traitorous or disrespectful words against the president of the United States, against the vice president, against the congress of the United States, or against the chief magistrate or legislature of any of the United States, in which he may be quartered, is guilty of mutiny.

Any officer or soldier who shall behave himself with contempt or disrespect towards his commanding officer, or shall speak words tending to his hurt or dishonor, is guilty of mutiny.

Any officer or soldier who shall begin, excite, cause, or join in any mutiny or sedition, in the troop, company, or regiment, to which he belongs, or in any other troop, or company, in the service of the United States, or on any party, post, detachment, or guard, on any pretence whatsoever, is guilty of mutiny.

Any officer or soldier who, being present at any mutiny or sedition, does not use his utmost endeavors to suppress the same, or coming to the knowlege of any mutiny, or intended mutiny, does not, without delay, give information to his commanding officer, is guilty of mutiny.

Any officer or soldier, who shall strike his superior officer, or draw, or offer to draw, or shall lift up any weapon, or offer any violence against him, being in the execution of his office, on any pretence whatsoever, or shall disobey any lawful command of his superior officer, is guilty of mutiny. See WAR.

MUTINY-_Act_, an act which passes every year in the British house of commons, to answer some specific military purposes; and by which the army is continued on a peace or war establishment.

MUZZLE _of a gun or mortar_, the extremity at which the powder and ball are put in.

MUZZLE-RING _of a gun_, that which encompasses and strengthens the muzzle, or mouth of a cannon.

MYRIAD, denotes the number ten thousand.

MYRIARCH. The captain, or commander of ten thousand men.

MYRMIDONS. In antiquity, a people of Thessaly, of whom it is fabled, that they arose from ants, upon a prayer put up to Jupiter, by Æacus, after his kingdom had been depopulated by a pestilence. In Homer, and in Virgil, the Myrmidons are Achilles’s soldiers. The term Myrmidon is used in modern times to express any rude ruffian, or hireling assassin; the same as _Hessian_.

MYRMILLONES. A sort of combatants among the Romans, who had on the top of their cask or helmet, the representation of a fish; and in their engagements with the Retiarii, if they were caught and wrapped in the net, it was not possible for them to escape.

MYSORE. An extensive country in the East Indies, which borders on the Carnatic to the S. W. bounded on the East by the south part of the Carnatic, and the district of Tritchinopoly. It extends west within 30 miles of the sea coast of Malabar. Seringapatam was the capital. It was wantonly attacked, taken, and partitioned twice, and at last completely occupied and incorporated with the British conquests.

N.

NABOB, _Ind._ a corruption from Nawaub, the plural of naib. The title means a deputy, but it is often assumed in India without a right to it. As the real signification and import of this word is not generally known, we shall extract a passage out of Mr. Orme’s History of the Carnatic, that will place them in the clearest point of view:

“Most of the countries which had been conquered by the great Mogul in the peninsula of India, are comprised under one viceroyalty, called from its situation decan, or south. From the word soubah, signifying a province, the viceroy of this vast territory is called soubahdar, and by Europeans sometimes the subah. Of the countries under his jurisdiction, some were entirely subjected to the throne of Delhi, and governed by mahomedans, whom Europeans improperly call Moors; whilst others remained under the government of their original Indian princes or Rajahs, and were suffered to follow their ancient modes on condition of paying tribute to the great Mogul. The Moorish governors depending on the soubah, assumed, when treating with their inferiors, the title of nabob, which (as we have already observed) signifies deputy: but this in the registers of the throne (of Delhi) is synonimous to soubahdar, and the greatest part of those who styled themselves nabobs were ranked at Delhi under the title of phousdar, which is much inferior to that which they assumed. The Europeans established in the territories of these pseudo-nabobs (if we may be allowed the expression) following the example of the natives with whom they have most intercourse, have agreed to give them the title they so much affect.

“A nabob ought to hold his commission from Delhi, and if at his death a successor has not been previously appointed by the great Mogul, the soubah has the right of naming a person to administer the nabobship, until the will of the sovereign is known; but a nabob thus appointed by a soubah was not deemed authentically established until he had been confirmed from Delhi. The soubah received from the several nabobs the annual revenues of the crown, and remitted them to the treasury of the empire. The nabobs were obliged to accompany him in all military expeditions within the extent of his viceroyalty, but not in any without that extent. These regulations were intended to place them in such a state of dependence on the soubah, as should render them subservient to the interests of the empire, and at the same time leave them in a state of independence, which would render it difficult for the soubah to make use of their assistance to brave the throne.

Nabobs, however, often kept possession of their governments in opposition both to the soubah and the throne; and what is more extraordinary in the offices of a despotic state, both soubahs and nabobs have named their successors, who have often succeeded with as little opposition as if they had been the heirs apparent of an hereditary dominion.” It is, perhaps, superfluous to observe, that the British have taken the place of the mogul, and that nabobs are made and unmade much more freely and frequently than European kings in modern times.

NABOBSHIP. The office of a nabob. The Carnatic was one of the most considerable nabobships dependent on the soubah of Decan. From its capital it was likewise named the province of Arcot; but its present limits are greatly inferior to those which bounded the ancient Carnatic before it was conquered by the great Mogul; for we do not find that the nabobs of Arcot ever extended their authority beyond the river Gondegama to the north, the great chain of mountains to the west, and the borders of the provinces of Tritchinopoly, Tanjore, and Mysore to the south. The sea bounds it to the east. It was not before the beginning of last century that this country was entirely reduced by the Mahomedans. For further particulars respecting nabobs, see pages 27 and 28 in the Dissertation prefixed to the History of the Carnatic.

NACELLE, _Fr._ A small boat that has neither mast nor sail. It is properly called a ferry-boat.

NADIR. In astronomy, is that point in the heavens which is directly under our feet, and is diametrically opposite to the zenith, or point over our heads. The word is pure Arabic, signifying the same thing. The zenith and the nadir are the two poles of the horizon, each 90° distant from it, and consequently each in the meridian.

NAGARA, _Ind._ The drum made from a hollow cylinder of teak wood, and the ends covered with goat skin; it is suspended from the left shoulder to the right side, and beat with a stick made of teak wood.

NAGER, _Fr._ to swim.

_Se sauver à la_ NAGE, to save oneself by swimming.

NAGGUR, _Ind._ The principal drum in Asiatic armies, commonly allowed only to persons of high dignity. The _bass drum_.

NAIB, _Ind._ a deputy. The governor of a town under a nawaub or nabob is so called in India.

NAIC, _or_ NAIK, a subaltern officer in the sepoys; a corporal.

_Drill_ NAIC, _or_ NAICK, a subaltern officer belonging to the native infantry in India, answering to our drill corporal. Every battalion of native infantry has two drill havildars or serjeants, and two drill-naicks, called _non-effective_, attached to it.

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.

NATIVE _Infantry_. A body of troops under the immediate direction of the presidency of Bengal, composed of the natives of India. According to the regulations published at Calcutta in 1797, it is directed, that the battalions of native infantry should be formed into regiments of two battalions each, with ten companies in each battalion, the regiment to consist of one colonel, two lieutenant-colonels, two majors, (junior lieutenant-colonel, and junior major, to be without companies) seven captains, 1 captain-lieutenant, 22 lieutenants, 10 ensigns, two serjeants, 20 subidars, 20 jemidars, 100 havildars, 100 naicks, 40 drums and fifes, 1600 privates for Bengal, 1800 privates for Madras and Bombay, 20 puckallies. The staff consists of two adjutants, one paymaster, one surgeon, two mates, one serjeant-major, one quarter-master serjeant, two native doctors, one drum-major, one fife-major, two drill havildars, and two drill naicks.

The peace establishment of these corps was ordered to consist of four regiments, to be commanded by two lieutenant-colonels to the two first, and two majors to the 3d and 4th regiments; a brigade major to be allowed to the cavalry. The whole, when raised, were to be commanded by a colonel commandant. But, at the period mentioned, only two regiments of native cavalry were raised, and twelve regiments of native infantry.

It was further directed, that upon the completion of the native cavalry, the promotions of officers should proceed by seniority in their respective regiments, until they arrived to the rank of captain, and afterwards to rise in the whole corps to the rank of major, and to the command of regiments. The promotion to major, and command of regiments, was subjected to the same principle, as in the infantry, in regard to being unfit. But if field officers of cavalry were superceded in consequence of being unfit to command, they were to be allowed to retire with the pay of lieutenant-colonel of infantry.

The promotions in the native infantry were to take place according to seniority in their respective regiments, to the rank of lieutenant-colonels, and afterwards to colonels, and command of regiments, with the following proviso:

That should the senior lieutenant-colonels appear to the government at the presidency, either upon representation of the commander in chief, or by any other means, to be unfit for the command of regiments, they were to be passed over, and junior officers promoted. But the reasons for such supercession were to be entered on the records, for the information of the court of directors.

The same principle was directed to be applied to the European infantry, to the promotion of officers of artillery to the command of battalions, and of corps; to the chief engineers, to the colonels commandants, and officers to command regiments of cavalry, and to the rank of major-generals from that of colonels.

It was further ordained, that should any captains or subalterns obtain leave from that period to exchange from one regiment to another, they were to come into the regiment to which they were removed as youngest of their respective ranks, according to the practice in the British establishment.

It was also ordered, that each regiment of native cavalry, and native infantry, in the absence of the colonel, should be under the general command of the senior lieutenant-colonel, who was to have the particular command of the 1st battalion, and the junior lieutenant-colonel that of the second battalion.

The same regulation prevails in the Indian, or native corps, with respect to the appointment of paymasters, that exists in the royal service.

About the same period, a very satisfactory regulation took place in favor of the European and native or company’s troops, to prevent the growth of much existing jealousy between them and the king’s troops. To give every officer of the company a king’s commission, of the same date with that which he received from the company, with a retrospect founded on the date of the king’s commission they then held, so as to prevent supercession by the various promotions which had recently taken place by general brevet in the British army.

NATURAL FORTIFICATION, consists in those natural obstacles which are found in some countries, and which impede or prevent the approach of an enemy. Thus a place, the avenues to which are easily closed, or which is surrounded by impassable rivers or marshes, is defended by natural fortification.

NAUAB, _Ind._ See NABOB.

NAVAL, _Fr._ This word is used to convey the same meaning among the French that it does with us, viz. _armée navale_, naval armament; _combat naval_, sea fight, or naval combat; _forces navales_, naval forces. It is remarked in the Dictionnaire de l’Academie Francoise, that _naval_, when used in the masculine gender, is not susceptible of the plural number.

NAVAL _armament_, the fitting out a fleet, with all kinds of provisions and military stores, for actual service.

NAVAL _camp_, in _military antiquities_, a fortification, consisting of a ditch and parapet on the land side, or a wall built in the form of a semi-circle, and extended from one point of the sea to the other. This was beautified with gates, and sometimes defended with towers, through which they issued forth to attack their enemies. Towards the sea, or within it, they fixed great pales of wood, like those in their artificial harbors; before these the vessels of burthen were placed in such order, that they might serve instead of a wall, and gave protection to those without; in which manner Nicias is reported by Thucydides to have encamped himself. When their fortifications were thought strong enough to defend them from the assaults of enemies, the ancients frequently dragged their ships on shore. Around these ships the soldiers disposed their tents as appears every where in Homer: but this seems only to have been practised in winter, when their enemy’s fleet was laid up, and could not assault them; or in long sieges, and when they lay in no danger from their enemies by sea, as in the Trojan war, where the defenders of Troy never once attempted to encounter the Grecians in a sea-fight.

NAVAL _crown_, in _Roman antiquity_, a crown conferred, among the Romans, on persons who, in sea engagements, distinguished themselves. A. Gellius says, in general, the naval crown was adorned with prows of ships. Lipsius distinguishes two kinds; the first he supposes plain, and given to the common soldiers; the other rostrated, and only given to generals or admirals, who had gained some important victory at sea.

NAVAL _officers_, are admirals, captains, lieutenants, masters, boatswains, midshipmen, gunners, &c.

NAVAL _engagement_, implies, in general, either a sea-fight between single ships, or whole fleets of men of war, or gallies, &c.

NAVAL TACTICS, or the art of war carried on by ships at sea; this being limited to the possibilities of navigation, is therefore much less susceptible of that variety of stratagem which belongs to the hostility of armies on land, and comprehends beside the knowlege of military operation, that of the movement of ships under all circumstances of wind, weather, and also of the structure of ships and rigging.

The tactics of the ancients consisted in the formation of position by which they could bear down upon and pierce the sides, or board vessels, and decide the conflict hand to hand; the invention of gunpowder has had the same effect upon naval as upon land tactics, that they can fight without coming to close quarters.

The Dutch, French, and British have been most distinguished for naval tactics; but they have been principally reduced to fixed rules like the armies of modern times, by the French and English. M. Morogues is the most copious author on the subject in modern times. M. Bourde de Villehuet, in his work called _La Manœuvrier_, has also published a most valuable treatise. M. Girmoard has treated of the subject as a science.

A Treatise has been published in English by Mr. Clerk, who was not a professional seaman, in which new principles were introduced, and those of the French adopted. The battles of April 1782, and of the Nile and Trafalgar were fought upon the new principles.

NAVE, in _gun-carriages_, that part of a wheel in which the arms of the axletree move, and in which the spokes are driven and supported. See WHEEL.

NAVE-_hoops_, are flat iron rings to bind the nave: there are generally three on each nave.

NAVE-_boxes_, were formerly made of brass; but experience has shewn that those of cast iron cause less friction, and are much cheaper: there are two, one at each end, to diminish the friction of the axletree against the nave.

NAVIGATION, the theory and art of conducting a ship by sea, from one port to another, or of disposing and influencing her machinery, by the force of the wind, so as to begin and continue her motion at sea.

NAVIRE _de guerre_, a man of war.

NAVIRE _Merchand_, _Fr._ a merchantman. It is likewise called _vaisseau marchand_.

NAULAGE, NAULIS, _Fr._ Freight or fare.

NAULISER, _Fr._ to freight or hire a vessel.