LEVER, AND HANDSPIKE.
The lever is of essential use in the service of artillery. When it is 6 feet long, and 3½ inches square at the large end, called the point, it is termed a handspike. The greater the length of the lever the greater is its power.[27]
Slewing.
To slew a gun, or mortar, strictly speaking, is to turn it on its axis without moving it from the spot on which it rests.
Pinching.
Pinching is the operation of moving a gun, or mortar, by small heaves of the handspike, without allowing it to turn on its axis. It is moved little by little, and never raised in its progress, but rubs against the skid on which it rests.
Cross-lifting.
To cross-lift a gun, or carriage, is to move it in a direction nearly perpendicular to its axis. Heavy guns, mounted, or dismounted, require a long lever, and a fulcrum, for cross-lifting. Guns of medium weight may be cross-lifted by means of handspikes.