Part 124

POMERIUM, in ancient architecture, that space of ground which lay between the walls of a fortified town and the inhabitants’ houses. The term is still used among modern architects, particularly by the Italians, as Peter Cataneo, and Alghiri, to describe the breadth of the terre pleine of rampart, its inward talus, and the vacant space which is usually left between this talus and the houses of the town.

POMMEL, (_Pommeau_, _Fr._) a piece of brass or other substance, at top, and in the middle of the saddle bow, to which are fastened the holsters, stirrip leathers, &c.

POMMEL, the knob at the extremity of the handle that balances the blade of the sword; also the protuberance on the fore part of a saddle.

POMMES, _Fr._ round pieces of wood which are variously used for ornament, &c.

POMMES _de Pavillon et d’enseigne_, _Fr._ the piece of wood which is fixed at the top of the color staff, &c.

POMPE, _Fr._ See PUMP.

POMPE _de mer_, _Fr._ a sea pump, or a pump used on board a ship.

POMPER, _Fr._ to pump.

PONANT, _Fr._ the west. In the French sea-service, _ponant_ signifies that part of the ocean which is separated from the seas in the Levant by the streights of Gibraltar.

_Officier_ PONANTIN, _Fr._ one who serves upon the ocean.

_Armée_ PONANTINE, _Fr._ the army of the west.

PONCEAU, _Fr._ a small bridge of one arch, which is thrown across a canal or rivulet.

PONCER, _Fr._ to rub, or pounce upon any thing.

PONIARD, a little pointed dagger, very sharp edged.

PONT _d’or_, _Fr._ a figurative expression which the French use, when they suffer an enemy, whom they have defeated, to retire without molestation. Hence _faire un pont d’or à son ennemi_. To suffer your enemy to escape.

PONTE, _Fr._ covered in, as a vessel is which has a deck.

PONTON, _Fr._ A bridge; a machine made like a batteau or boat, of copper or tin, upon which planks are laid over which troops pass as on a bridge. See PONTOON.

PONTONIER, _Fr._ Lighterman.

PONTS _flottans_, _Fr._ See FLOATING BRIDGE.

PONT _levis_, _Fr._ See DRAWBRIDGE.

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.

_Fermer les_ PORTS, _Fr._ to lay a general embargo upon shipping. During the French monarchy this practice frequently occurred for the purpose of securing able bodied seamen.

PORT, _Fr._ This word is likewise used to express the tonnage of a vessel.

PORTAL, (_portail_, _Fr._) the front or facade of a large building, where the principal gate stands.

_To_ PORT, to carry.

PORT _arms_, a word of command which has been adopted during the present war, and is practised in the British army. It consists in bringing the firelock diagonally across the chest from the _carry_. This position of the musquet affords a great facility to the person who inspects the touch-hole, &c. In dismissing guards, preparing to charge, &c. soldiers are ordered to _port arms_. The French do not practise this method. Their word of command, _haut les armes_, corresponds with our _recover_.

PORTCLUSE, _or_ PORT _cullice_, in _fortification_, is an assemblage of several large pieces of wood, joined across one another like a harrow, and each pointed with iron at the bottom. They are sometimes hung over the gate-way of old fortified towns, ready to let down in case of a surprise, when the gates could not be shut.

PORT-_fire_, in _artillery_, a composition put in a paper case to fire guns and mortars, instead of a lint-stock and match. See LABORATORY WORKS.

PORTGLAVE, _Fr._ See PORTE-EPEE.

PORT _de l’arme_, _Fr._ the carriage of the firelock.

PORTE _drapeau_, PORTE _enseigne_, _Fr._ the person who carries the colors.

PORT _étendard_, _Fr._ the standard bearer.

PORTE _feu_, _Fr._ a machine made of wood or copper, by which fire is communicated to gunpowder in a shell, fuse, or piece of ordnance. It is sometimes made of pasteboard. Where there is any ground to apprehend that a cannon will burst, the priming made of a certain composition is put into the pasteboard case, by which means the cannoneer has time to retire before any accident can happen.

PORTE _feu_, _Fr._ is likewise used among artificers to signify all sorts of fusees or matches, by which fire is communicated to many quarters at once. They last according to the nature of the composition with which they are made up.

PORTE _feu brisé_, _Fr._ in artificial fireworks, a species of carriage which is bent into a curve by means of a sloping piece of wood.

PORTE _voix_, _Fr._ a speaking trumpet.

PORTE _mousqueton_, _Fr._ a swivel.

PORTE _arquebuse_, _Fr._ the king’s gunbearer.

PORTE _epée_, _Fr._ a sword bearer; It likewise means a sword belt.

PORTE, _Fr._ a gate. _Portes d’une ville._ The gates of a fortified town.

PORTE _d’ecluse_, _Fr._ a flood gate.

PORTE _de secours_, _Fr._ the gate in a citadel, which has an outlet towards the country, is so called. By means of this gate the garrison can always receive succors or reinforcements, in cases of civil insurrection, or under circumstances of surprise.

PORTEE _du fusil_, _Fr._ by this expression the French generally understand the distance which a musquet-shot goes to its ultimate destination. It is supposed to vary from 120 to 150 toises.

PORTEE _des piéces_, _Fr._ the flight, range, or reach of cannon.

PORTEE _à toute volée_. _Fr._ the flight of a cannon shot when it makes an angle of something under 45 degrees with the horizon, or level of the country. In this manner it completes the greatest possible range.

PORTEE _de but en blanc_, _Fr._ the forward direction and flight of a ball, constituting a straight line, which it describes from the mouth of the piece to its ultimate object. It has been generally found, by experience that the distance so described, could not exceed 300 toises. Beyond that, the ball has been known to deviate. According to Belidor, pieces of ordnance will carry farther in the morning and at night, when the weather is cool and rarefied, than in the middle of the day, or at noon, when the heat of the sun prevails. This circumstance is amply discussed in his _Bombardier Francois_; and his observations were proved to be correct by experiments made in June, 1744, at Essonne. These experiments commenced at seven o’clock in the morning, and lasted till twelve. It was remarked, that the shells, which were thrown out of three mortars, gradually fell short of their original range. Besides the _portée a toute volée_, and the _portée de but en blanc_, or the full range and the point blank shot, there is the _ricochet_, which marshal Vauban invented. See RICOCHET.

PORTER, _Fr._ to carry. It is a marine term; as _porter toutes ses voiles_. To carry all her sails. It is likewise used as a word of command, viz. _Portez vos armes._ Carry arms.

PORTER _une botte_, _Fr._ to make a thrust or pass.

PORTES _d’une ville du guerre_, _Fr._ openings which cross the ramparts of a fortified town or place, and are generally arched over. These openings are usually made in the middle of the curtain, between two bastions. They are from nine to ten feet broad, and from thirteen to fourteen feet high. The gates are mostly decorated with trophies of war: and in some instances a very superfluous magnificence is exhibited.

PORTEURS _d’eau_, _Fr._ _Water carriers._ In India they are called _Beestees_. Amongst the Turks the Sakkas, or water-carriers, are taken from the lowest rank of soldiers belonging to the Capikuly infantry. The number of these men depends upon the nature of the service on which the turks are employed. They are under the orders of the officers who command companies; and although their situation is not only the most degrading, but the most laborious in the army, they may nevertheless become soldiers. Their dress consists of brown leather; and from the continual fatigue which they undergo, their appearance is wretched in the extreme.

PORTFIRE, a composition of meal powder, sulphur, and saltpetre, driven into a case of paper to serve instead of a match to fire guns.

PORTFIRE _composition_. Saltpetre, 60 parts; sulphur, 40 parts; mealed powder, 20 parts. Length of each, 16¹⁄₂ inches.

One will burn from 12 to 15 minutes.

Weight of one dozen, 3 lbs. 12 oz.

Portfires were made at Gibraltar in the following manner; two ounces of nitre was dissolved in a gallon of water, and sheets of soft brown paper dipped in the solution: these when dry were rolled up to about the size of common portfires. See English _New Annual Register_, 1807, for an article on wooden portfires.

PORT-FOLIO, in a general acceptation of the term amongst us, is a species of large leathern case, made like a pocket book, and calculated to carry papers of any size. Among the French it not only signifies the same thing, but likewise a box, made of pasteboard, in which are contained the several papers that relate to any particular department. The adjutants, quarter-masters, &c. belonging to the staff, should be provided with port folios for the purpose of keeping their reports, &c. in regular order.

PORT-GLAIVE, from the French _porteur_ and _glaive_. One who carries the sword before a prince or magistrate.

PORT-HOLES, in a ship, are the embrasures or holes in the sides of a ship, through which the muzzels of cannon are run.

PORTIERES, _Fr._ Two pieces or folds of wood which are placed in the embrasure of a battery, and which close the instant the piece has been fired. They serve to cover the cannoneers from the aim of the enemy, and to resist the discharge of musquetry. They are, however, seldom or ever used except when the batteries stand close to the counterscarp.

PORTICO, (_portique_, _Fr._) in architecture, a kind of ground gallery, or piazza, encompassed with arches supported by columns, without any immediate relation to doors or gates, where people walk under cover. The roof is commonly vaulted, sometimes flat. The ancients called it _Lacunar_.

PORTMANTEAU, (_Valise_, _Fr._) a cloak bag to carry necessaries in a journey. It is sometimes made of leather.

PORTMOTE, a court held in port towns, as swanimote was in the forest.

PORT _ropes_, in a ship, such ropes as serve to haul up and let down the ports on the port holes.

POSE, (_grandepose_, _Fr._) a French military term, signifying the extraordinary centinels or guards, which after retreat beating are posted in a fortified town or place, for the safety of certain specific quarters. The corporals who post the centinels are directed to instruct them, not to suffer any person to go upon the ramparts, unless he belong to the night patrole or rounds, &c. These extraordinary guards are relieved at daybreak.

POSER, _Fr._ to lay down. It is used as a word of command in the French artillery, &c. viz. _Poser vos leviers_; lay down your levers.

POSER _une sentinelle_, _Fr._ to post a centry.

POSES, _Fr._ the centries that are posted.

_Priming_ POSITION, in the old manual exercise. In firing three deep the priming position for the front rank is the height of the waistband of the breeches; for the centre rank about the middle of the stomach; and for the rear rank close to the breast. The firelock in all the positions is kept perfectly horizontal.

But in the modern exercise, the rear rank does not fire; but loads for the centre rank, whenever they form in three ranks, the whole are quarter faced to the left, so that the firelock of each has an interval; and all the firelocks are held equally high on the right hip.

POSITION, (_Position_, _Fr._) This word is variously used in a military sense, both by the French and English. It is applicable to locality; as the _army took an excellent position_; or drew up upon very advantageous ground, and in a very advantageous manner. Frederic the great, of Prussia, has laid it down as a maxim, that no army should take up a position in rear of a forest, since it is thereby prevented from observing the movements of the enemy, and from counteracting their plans.

POSITION _of the soldier without arms_. The equal squareness of the shoulders and body to the front is the first and great principle of the position of the soldier: the heels must be in a line, and two inches apart; the knees straight, without stiffness; the toes turned out, so that the feet may form an angle of about 60 degrees; the arms hang near the body, but not stiff; the flat of the hand, and middle finger, touching the seams of the pantaloons; the elbows and shoulders are to be kept back: The belly rather drawn in; and the breast advanced, but without constraint; the body to be upright, but inclining rather forwards, so that the weight may not bear so much on the heels as on the fore part of the feet: the head to be erect; and neither turned to the right nor to the left; the eyes alone will be glanced to the right.

POSITION _of the soldier with arms_. The body of the soldier being in the position above described, the firelock is to be placed in his left hand, against the shoulder; the thumb alone to appear in front; the four fingers to be under the butt; and the left elbow a very little bent inwards, so as not to be separated from the body, or to be more backward or forward than the right one: the firelock must rest full on the hand, not on the end of the fingers; the knuckles of the middle finger to press so against the hip joint, as that on raising the left foot from the ground the motion of the joint be felt with the knuckles, and be carried in such manner as not to raise, advance, or keep back, one shoulder more than the other; the butt must therefore be forward, and as low as can be permitted without constraint; the fore part a very little before the front of the thigh; and the hind part of it pressed with the knuckles against the joint. It must be kept steady and firm before the hollow of the shoulder; should it be drawn back, or carried too high, the one shoulder would be advanced, the other kept back, and the upper part of the body would be distorted and not square with respect to the limbs.

The position in which a soldier should move, determines that in which he should stand still. Too many methods cannot be used to supple the recruit, and banish the air of the rustic. But that excess of setting up, which stiffens the person, and tends to throw the body backward instead of forward, is contrary to every true principle of movement, and must therefore be most carefully avoided. If the firelock be carried well in the hand, and against the hip joint, the barrel of the firelock will stand perpendicular, and this will guide the body which should be thrown against the uptight firelock, and will be found to agree with the balance of the body upon the fore part of the foot; and conduce to opening the chest and keeping an erect front.

POSITION _in marching_. In marching, the soldier must maintain, as much as possible, the same position of the body. See MARCH.

_Change of_ POSITION, the positive or relative movement of a body of troops on any given point.

_New_ POSITIONS _that a regiment or line can take with respect to the old one_, are:

_Parallel_ POSITIONS, or nearly so to the old one.

_Intersecting_ POSITIONS by themselves, or their prolongation, some part of the old line or its prolongation.

_New parallel_ POSITIONS being necessarily to the front, or rear of the old one, the regiment will, according to circumstances, take them up by the diagonal march; the flank match of divisions after wheeling into column; or the movement in open column to the new line, and its subsequent formation in it.

_New intersecting_ POSITIONS, which themselves cut the regiment, will, in cavalry movements, be taken up by the diagonal march; or the flank march ranks by three’s of divisions. All other new positions, which themselves, or their prolongation, intersect the old line, or its prolongation, will in general be taken up by the march in open column, and its subsequent formations, when it arrives at the line; some such positions will, however, allow of, and require being made by the echellon march, or by the flank march of divisions. In general the regiment will break to the hand which is nearest to the new position, be conducted to its nearest point in the new line, and form on it as directed.

POSITION _of the officer_. See SWORD.

POSITION _du soldat sans armes_, _Fr._ position of the soldier without arms.

POSITION _du soldat avec les armes_, _Fr._ position of the soldier with arms.

POSITION _de l’extension_, _Fr._ in fencing, position of extension.

POSSEDER, _Fr._ to possess, to be in possession of.

POSSE, an armed power, called out on any particular emergency; as the _posse comitatus_; who may be called out by the sheriff, or marshal, to suppress outrages of the peace.

POSSESSION, to take possession, is the act of occupying any post, camp, fortress, &c. which might facilitate the operations of any army, or which previously belonged to the enemy.

POST, in _war_, a military station; any sort of ground fortified or not, where a body of men can be in a condition of resisting the enemy.

_Advanced_ POST, a spot of ground, seized by a party to secure their front, and the post behind them.

POST _of honor_. The advanced guard is a post of honor: the right of the two lines is the post of honor, and is generally given to the eldest corps: the left is the next post, and is given to the next eldest, and so on. But the laws of military discipline forbid an inconvenient accordance with this practice, as the circumstances of the case may require a very different arrangement, which it would be wanton to oppose. The station of a centinel before the colors, and the door of a commanding officer, is a post of honor.

_Advantageous_ POST. Every situation is so called which an enemy occupies in such a manner, that not only mere force of arms, but great military skill, and many stratagems, are required to dislodge him. We have various instances in history of how much may be done on both sides, when one army has taken up an advantageous post, and another finds it necessary to drive him from it. This subject has been amply discussed in a French work intituled, _Stratagéms de Guerre_, page 71, &c.

POSTS _of exercise in the rear_, the relative situations which officers take in the rear; when the ranks of a battalion are opened for the purpose of going through the manual and platoon exercises. It is likewise a cautionary word of command, viz. _The officers will take post in the rear._

_To_ POST. In the disposition of troops, to place the officers, music, drummers, fifers, and pioneers, according to their several ranks and appointments, either for inspection, or exercise in the field.

_To_ POST, to station, as, a sentry, &c.

_To be_ POSTED, in military tactics, to be formed ready for action. Thus when troops are brought up in column, and ordered to deploy, it frequently happens, that some part of the line is refused, in order to flank an enemy, or to cover a weak position, the part that is aligned is said to be posted.

_To_ POST _up_, (_afficher_, _Fr._) To hold up to public censure or ridicule.