Part 157

TIME, in fencing. There are three kinds of time; that of the sword, that of the foot, and that of the whole body. All the times that are perceived out of their measure, are only to be considered as appels or feints to deceive and amuse the enemy.

TIME _thrust_, in fencing. A thrust given upon any opening which may occur by an inaccurate or wide motion of your adversary, when changing his guard, &c.

TIMING, is the accurate and critical throwing in of a cut or thrust upon any opening that may occur as your adversary changes his position.

TIMON, _Fr._ Shafts of a cart, coach-pole.

TIMONIER, _Fr._ This word is frequently used as a sea term by the French, and signifies helmsman, or steersman, from _Timon_, which is applied to the part of the helm he holds.

TIN _tubes_. See TUBES and LABORATORY.

TINDALS, _Ind._ Native officers employed in the artillery, and in ships.

TIR, _Fr._ In artillery. A term used to express the explosion or discharge of any firearm in any given direction. _Un bon, un mauvais tir_, a good, a bad shot; or a shot well or ill directed.

_La theorie du_ TIR, _Fr._ The theory or art of firing.

TIR _perpendiculaire_, _Fr._ A shot made in a perpendicular direction.

TIR _oblique_, _Fr._ An oblique shot.

TIR _à ricochet_, _Fr._ A ricochet shot.

TIR _rasant_, _Fr._ A grazing shot; or shot made _rasant_. See FORTIFICATION.

TIR _plongeant_, _Fr._ A downward or plunging shot.

TIR _fichant_, _Fr._ A shot made _fichant_. See FORTIFICATION.

_La justesse du_ TIR, _Fr._ The true direction of a shot. The French say, _ce fusil n’a pas le tir juste_, this musquet has not a true direction, or its shot diverges from the point levelled at.

TIRAILLER, _Fr._ To pester, to annoy. Hence the word _Tirailleur_.

TIRAILLEUR. A soldier who fires as he pleases; a _rifleman_.

TIRAILLEURS are likewise skirmishers or marksmen, advanced in front to annoy the enemy, and draw off his attention; or they are left behind to amuse and stop his progress in the pursuit; a column of infantry is often ordered to act as tirailleurs.

TIRE, are great guns, shot, shells, &c. placed in a regular form. See PILES.

TIRE-_balle_, _Fr._ An instrument used by surgeons to extract musquet-balls.

TIRE-_bourre_, _Fr._ In artillery, a wad-hook. It likewise signifies a worm to draw the charge out of a musquet.

TIRE-_fond_, _Fr._ An instrument which is used among the French to fix a petard. It likewise means a surgeon’s tenebra or piercer.

TIRE _ligne_, _Fr._ An instrument used in drawing lines.

TIRE-_ployer_, _Fr._ To discharge; to unload.

TIRER, _Fr._ To shoot, to fire.

TIRER _à boulets rouges_, _Fr._ To fire with red hot shot.

TIRER _des armes à feu_. To fire any species of firearm. There is a curious and well written passage on this subject in the _Supplement aux reveries de M. le Maréchal de Saxe_, page 76.

TIRER _le canon_, _Fr._ To fire or discharge pieces of ordnance.

TIRER likewise means to move towards any place, viz. _Après la battaille gagnee, l’armee tira vers un tel lieu_; after the battle had been won, the army moved towards such a quarter.

TIRER _dix ou douze pieds d’eau_, _Fr._ To draw ten or twelve feet water.

TIRER _à la mer_, _Fr._ To put off to sea.

TIREUR, _Fr._ A game keeper, a shooter.

TIREUR _d’arc_, _Fr._ A bowman, an archer.

TIREUR _d’armes_, _Fr._ A fencing-master.

TYROLIANS. A body of sharp shooters in the Austrian service. They take their name from the Tyrol, a country formerly belonging to Germany, about 150 miles long, and 120 broad. It is wholly mountainous, and was part of the hereditary dominions of the house of Austria; but having been twice conquered by the French, part has been irrevocably ceded to Bavaria in 1809, the rest is incorporated with the kingdom of Italy.

TOCSIN, _Fr._ An alarm bell.

TOHIE, _Ind._ A canoe.

TOISE, in military mensuration, is a French measure, containing 6 feet, or a fathom: a square toise is 36 square feet, and a cubical toise is 216 feet.

These two measures correspond in the division of the feet; but these divisions being unequal, it is necessary to observe, that the proportion of the yard, as fixed by the Royal Society at London, to the half toise as fixed by the Royal Academy at Paris, is as 36 to 38.355.

TOISE _carree_, _Fr._ Any square extent, having six feet in every sense.

TOISE _cube_, _Fr._ Any substance having 6 feet in length, 6 ditto in breadth, and 6 in depth.

TOISE, _Fr._ This word is used in the masculine gender, and signifies, in mathematics, the science or art of measuring surfaces and solids, and of reducing the measure by accurate calculation.

_Une affaire_ TOISEE, _Fr._ A familiar phrase signifying, the thing is done, all over.

TOISER, _Fr._ To measure by the toise.

TOISER, _Fr._ In a military sense, to take the height of a man, as, _toiser un soldat_, to take the height of a soldier. The French likewise say in a figurative sense, _toiser son homme_, to examine one’s man with great attention, in order to find out his merits, or good qualities.

TOISEUR, _Fr._ A person employed among the French in the constructing and repairing of fortifications.

TOISEUR, _Fr._ A measurer.

TOISON _d’or_. _Fr._ The golden fleece.

_La_ TOISON, _Fr._ The order of the Golden Fleece is so called.

TOKERY, _Ind._ A basket made with cane.

TOLE, _Fr._ Iron beat into thin plates.

TOMAN, _Ind._ Ten thousand men.

TOMAND, _Ind._ Equal to something more than three guineas.

TOMBER, _Fr._ To fall. _Le vent tombe_, the wind falls. _Tomber entre les mains des ennemis_, to fall into the hands of enemies.

TOMBIE, _Ind._ A wind instrument made in the shape of a globe.

TOMPION. See TAMPION.

TAMSOOK _Hazin Zaminee_, _Ind._ A security for personal appearance.

TOMTOM, _Ind._ A small drum made in the shape of a tambourine.

TONDIN, _Fr._ A term in architecture which is seldom used. It is the same as the astragal or fillet which goes round the base of pillars.

TONG. See TENAILLE.

TONGS _of a waggon_, a piece of wood fixed between the middle of the hind ends of the shafts, mortised into the fore cross-bar, and let into the hind cross-bar.

TONGUE _of a sword_. That part of the blade on which the gripe, shell, and pummel are fixed.

_A triangular_ TONGUE. The bayonet figuratively so called from its shape.

TONNAGE, _Fr._ A word adopted from the English.

TONNAGE. A custom or impost due for merchandize brought or carried in tons from or to other nations after a certain rate in every ton.

TONNAGE. The usual method of finding the tonnage of any ship is by the following rule:--Multiply the length of the keel by the breadth of the beam, and that product by half the breadth of the beam; and divide the last product by 94, and the quotient will be the tonnage.

Ship’s keel 72 feet: breadth of beam 24 feet.

72 × 24 × 12 ------------ = 220·6 tonnage. 94

The tonnage of goods and stores is taken sometimes by weight and sometimes by measurement; and that method is allowed to the vessel which yields the most tonnage. In tonnage by weight 20 cwt. make 1 ton. In tonnage by measurement 40 cubic feet equal 1 ton. All carriages, or other stores to be measured for tonnage, are taken to pieces and packed in the manner which will occupy the least room on board ship. All ordnance, whether brass or iron, is taken in tonnage by its actual weight. Musquet cartridges in barrels or boxes, all ammunition in boxes, and other articles of great weight, are taken in tonnage according to their actual weight.

The following is the tonnage required for some of the most material ordnance stores by the British usage.

TONNAGE OF ORDNANCE.

_Kinds._ No. T. ct. qr. {Pole 264 -- 10 0 Axes, complete with handles{Pick 100 -- 9 0 {Felling 176 -- 14 0 Barrows--Wheel, packed 20 2 2 0 Do. unpacked 7 1 0 0 Hand, single 20 0 18 0 Budge barrels 32 1 0 0 Bricks 1000 2 5 0 Buckets of leather 20 0 2 0 Pontoon & carriage complete, with its appurtenances 11 0 0 Carbines.--A chest with 25 stand is 11 feet cubic Carriages.--Standing 42 prs. 1 13 0 32 prs. 1 10 0 Howitzer 10 in. 1 10 0 24 prs. 1 9 3 18 prs. } 1 7 0 Howitzer 8 inch.} 12 prs. 1 4 0 9 prs. 1 3 0 6 prs. 1 0 0 4 prs. 0 17 0 {24 prs. 5 10 0 Carriages.--Travelling, {12 prs. 4 10 2 complete with limber boxes,{ 9 prs. 4 7 2 ladles, sponges and rammers{ 6 prs. 3 7 2 { 3 prs. 2 19 0 Medium {24 prs.} 2 9 2 {12 prs.} 6 pr. light, with ammunition boxes} 2 3 0 5¹⁄₂ inch howitzer, Do. } 5¹⁄₂ inch howitzer of 10 cwt.}Carriages{ 3 2 0 8 inch howitzer } { 3 7 2 Sling cart complete 3 0 2 Forage cart, with limber 4 0 0 Ammunition waggon 4 18 1 Gravel cart 2 16 2 Duke of Richmond’s close bodied waggon 5 0 0 Road waggon, with upright sides 7 10 0 Gin; triangle 0 14 0 Grate for heating shot 0 4 2 Handspikes 120 1 0 0 Handcrow levers, of 5 feet 120 1 0 0 Handscrews, large 15 1 0 0 small 17 1 0 6 Helves, pick or felling 300 0 14 0 Do. sledge 300 1 0 0 Do. pinmaul 360 1 0 0 Junk 20 cwt. 1 5 0 Linstocks, with cocks 600 1 0 0 without cocks 1000 1 0 0 Musquets.--A chest with 25 is 16 feet. Do. with 20 is 11 feet. Match 6 cwt. 1 14 0 Powder{11 whole barrels 1 0 0 {22 half do. 1 0 0 Pitch or tar.--1 barrel is 7 feet. Pistols.--A chest with 50 or 60 = 10 feet. Park pickets 40 0 9 1 Pikes 280 1 0 0 Sheep skins 12 dozen 1 1 0 Shovels}of iron {100 1 0 0 Spades } {184 1 0 0 Shovels, shod with iron 138 1 0 0 Sand bags{Bushel 500 0 12 0 Bales {Half do. 500 0 7 1 {2 bushel 250 0 8 1

The following is the tonnage allowed in the British service to the military officers of the ordnance embarked for foreign service, for their camp equipage and baggage:

For a field officer 5 tons For a captain 3 do. For a subaltern 1¹⁄₂ do.

TONNE, _Fr._ A tun. It likewise signifies a large cask or vessel which is used for stores and ammunition.

TONNEAUX _Meutriers_, _Fr._ Casks which are bound together with ropes, or circled round by iron hoops, and are filled with gunpowder, pebbles, &c. The particular method in which these casks are prepared may be seen in Tom. II. page 218, _Des Œuvres Militaires_.

TOOKSOWARS, _Ind._ The vizir’s body of cavalry.

TOOLS, used in war, are of many denominations and uses, as laboratory tools, mining tools, artificers tools, &c. which see.

TOPARCH, (_Toparque_, _Fr._) The principal man in a place.

TOPARCHY, (_Toparchie_, _Fr._) Superintendence; command in a district.

TOPAS, _Ind._ This name was originally given by the natives of India to a native Portuguese soldier, on account of his wearing a _hat_; contra-distinguished from the _Hindus_ and _Mahomedans_ who wear _turbans_.

TOPE, _Ind._ A small wood or grove.

TOPE, _Ind._ A gun.

TOPEE, _Ind._ A hat.

TOPEE _Walla_, _Ind._ A person who wears a hat.

TOPEKHANA, _Ind._ The place where guns are kept; the arsenal.

TOPGI-_Bachi_. Grand master of the Turkish artillery. This appointment is one of the most important situations in the gift of the Porte. It is generally bestowed upon a relation to the Grand Signor, or upon a favorite to the Grand Visier.

The name is derived from _tope_, which, in the Turkish language, signifies cannon, and from _Bach_, which means lord, chief or commandant.

The person next in command to the Topgi-Bachi is called _Dukigi-Bachi_, or master of the Topgis, who are both cannonneers and founders. The latter are paid every month by a commissary of their own, whom they call Kiatib.

TOPGIS, sometimes written Topchis. A name generally used among the Turks to signify all persons employed in the casting of cannon, and who are afterwards appointed to the guns. It is here necessary to observe, that on account of the vast extent of the Ottoman empire, the Turks do not attach much heavy ordnance to their armies, especially when they carry on their operations from one frontier to another. This is owing to the scarcity of draught-horses, and to the natural obstacles of the country. So that they seldom carry into the field guns above eight or twelve-pounders.

But when it is their design to form any considerable siege, they load camels with all the materials requisite for casting cannon. A certain number of Topgis accompany them, and the instant the army takes up its quarters near to the spot where the attack is to be made, they set to work and cast pieces of ordnance of every species of calibre or bore.

The Turkish cannon is extremely beautiful and well cast. The ornamental parts consist of plants, fruits, &c. for it is expressly forbidden in the Koran to give the representation of any human figure upon fire-arms, particularly upon pieces of ordnance; the Turks being taught to believe that God would order the workman to give it life, or would condemn him to eternal punishment.

The Turks are very awkward in constructing platforms for their batteries, and are almost ignorant of the art of pointing their pieces. From a consciousness of their deficiency on this head, they encourage Christian artillerymen and engineers to come amongst them; but until the year 1798, they seldom viewed them but with a jealous eye, and always gave the preference to renegadoes. General Koehler, with a few British officers belonging to the train, joined their army in 1800 for the purpose of acting against Egypt.

TOPIKHANNAH, _Ind._ A house for keeping guns, an arsenal, armory.

TOPOGRAPHER. A person skilled in viewing, measuring, and describing ground.

TOPOGRAPHICAL ENGINEERS. A body of military men which are now become essential in war.

TOPOGRAPHICAL DEPOT. The following short sketch of the only institution of this kind which is peculiar to France, will explain its nature and origin. Louvois minister of Louis XIV. in 1668 undertook to reform all the departments of government; and the war department among the rest. His death interrupted his design which was nevertheless afterwards pursued upon the peace of Utrecht in 1713: when all the military papers were classed, under different heads, and tables of contents to each prepared, amounting to 2700 volumes. These papers embraced all military subjects from 1631 to that time.

In 1696 a corps called “engineers of camps and armies” was instituted; who in 1726 were called “geographical engineers” employed with the staff in drawing plans, &c. But their drawings were used only in the camp, until 1744, when d’Argenson improved the corps and established them at Versailles. It was from this depot that _Voltaire_ obtained all the materials which render his concise sketches of history more accurate and preferable to any other, who has not made use of his materials.

In the seven years war, the _Hotel de la Guerre_ was erected at Versailles, it was completed in 1760. Berthier who was the intimate friend of marshal Saxe was appointed _chief geographical engineer_; and he collected a vast body of charts, drawings, and topographical sketches on the Rhine, Hesse, Westphalia, Hanover, &c.

But some idea of former insufficiency may be had from the following anecdote taken from memoirs of marshal Rochambeau (the same who served with Washington) published at Paris in 1809: the marshal was an officer under marshal Richelieu at the attack on Minorca during the seven years war, which he thus describes--“When the marshal left Versailles to proceed on the expedition, there could be found only one plan very old of Port Mahon, in the military depot, and this was merely a draft of Fort St. Philip. M. de Valliere, a minister of that day, who was much better adapted to be a man-midwife than a chief of the war depot, was consulted, and said that 24 pieces of heavy ordnance and 15 mortars would be sufficient to lay the place in ashes. At Toulon, Richelieu had some discourse with a captain of a merchant ship who had been prisoner at Port Mahon, who said the duke’s plan of St. Philip was no more like it than the Bastile. This intelligence induced the duke to take 14 pieces of artillery and 7 mortars more. But what was our astonishment when on the first sight of Fort St. Philip we discovered works bristled with arms and fortifications presenting 140 embrasures with their tompions out.”

There can be no greater ignorance than this in military affairs, excepting the ignorance of the British at Walcheren in 1809, who did not know that the channel which formerly made Cadsand an island, and separated it from the continent, had been filled up and become terra firma for 25 years preceding.

By an arret of 1769 the topographical board was again revived, but fell into neglect. St. Germain made them one corps with the engineers; but they were again separated in 1777. M. de Vault who had been the soul of the institution for 40 years, ever since 1750, died in 1790, he had digested all the materials of the wars down to the year 1763 in a military historical manner, they amounted to 125 volumes. It came under the care of his colleague M. Beaudoin, who died, and was succeeded by general Mathieu Dumas, until the revolution; when the war depot in 1791 was removed to Paris for safety and for use. Colon, Desdorides, Lacuer, and Carnot, were active in it; Carnot for his own advantage and convenience formed out of this a private topographical cabinet, to which may be attributed the developement of those grand combinations, which put fourteen armies in motion and maintained their co-operation in a manner which has astonished mankind, and laid the foundation for those congenial achievements which have since subverted all previous axioms in tactics and prostrated and encircled Europe.

But the want of topographers being so much felt in the early campaigns of the revolution no doubt stimulated Carnot to render it perfect. Accordingly the corps was new organized, three companies were formed, and each composed of 12 artists and a considerable number of pupils or assistants to each. These were employed on the topography of Bavaria, Suabia, &c. the materials collected in Italy, Piedmont, Spain, Naples, Egypt, and St. Domingo. The grand map of France by Cassini; the chart by Ferraris of the Netherlands, and Piedmont by Borgonio, were engraved under the inspection of this corps. During the war all topographical materials were collected with zeal. General Dupont (who has been since made prisoner in Spain) considerably improved and enriched it; Ernout who was lately commander of one of the French W. I. islands, was for a time at the head of this depot; its organization was completed in 1795. General Clarke, having been educated in this corps, was placed at the head of it in the year 1800. A library was established and 8000 volumes appropriate to the subject added by him. In 1801 it was enriched with all that the campaigns of Bonaparte procured.

But the most important of its works was a plan of France upon a combined projection of 4 points of view taken on the banks of the Rhine, 24 topographical engineers under Franchot the astronomer accomplished this. The organization was further improved on a project of general Clarke; general Andreossi afterwards succeeded, and under his care numerous charts were engraved and published.

The following is an abstract of the contents of the depot. 2700 volumes ancient archives; 8000 select additional volumes; 900 rolls of modern topographical plans; 131 volumes and 78 rolls modern narrative, each of which is composed of at least 50 individual memoirs; 4700 engraved maps; 7400 manuscript plans of battles, marches, encampments, &c.

It furnished to the army before 1804, engraved maps 7278; manuscript plans and drawings 207; 61 atlases, and upwards of 600 narrative memoirs.

In the early formation of this and other scientific establishments, in the talents which directed and the liberality that provided them, we see one of the real causes why France is superior in war to all other nations.

TOPOGRAPHY. In _military history_, a description or draught of some particular place, or small tract of land, as that of a fortification, city, manor or tenement, garden, house, castle, fort, or the like; such as engineers set out in their drawings, for the information of their prince or general. Hence a topographical chart--_Carte Topographique_.

TOPSYTURVY. Upsidedown, or, as our old authors more properly wrote it, (to use Mr. Tooke’s words in his Diversions of Purley,) Up so down; bottom upward. It corresponds with the French term, _Sans dessus dessous_; without top or bottom: _i. e._ a situation of confusion, in which you cannot discern the top from the bottom, or say which is the top and which the bottom. When a battalion is so awkwardly managed, either through the ignorance of the chief who gives the several words of command, or through the dullness of the officers and soldiers who are to execute them, that the grenadiers get where the light infantry should stand, and the rest of the companies out of their proper fronts and positions, such a battalion may be said to be topsyturvy. There is a sea-phrase in familiar use among the military, which means the same thing, viz. to _capsize_, _renverser_. _Chavirer quelque chose, comme une embarcation_, &c. To turn upside down, as to capsize a piece of ordnance. Hence, figuratively, to capsize a battalion, which means the same as to club a battalion. See TO CLUB.