Triangular Wedge with a full centre. The Greek soldier occupied, at all times, a square space greater or less in proportion to the requisite order, either at a review, advancing towards the enemy, or standing in a position to receive him. This wedge was formed according to the arithmetical progression ÷ 1, 3, 5, 7, &c.

The open Wedge. This species of wedge was formed two different ways, with the Greeks and Romans. Bouchaud de Bussy, who takes them, one from Ælian, whom he translates, and the other from Vegetius, gives us a third, which appears to be of his own invention, and is very much superior to the other two. According to Ælian, Epaminondas the Theban general employed the open wedge at the battle of Leuctra, and overthrew the Lacedemonians, whose army was much superior to the one he commanded. To form this wedge, the two divisions of a double phalanx amphistome, are to unite together at the head, being separate or open at the tail or rear; which gives them a near resemblance of the Greek letter Λ. Bouchaud de Bussy formed the wedge in the following manner:

“The same body of troops being in array, may likewise, says he, form the wedge in marching forward, and this manœuvre requires no preliminary movement. The three divisions being marked, as well as the three files of the centre which compose the head of the wedge, the following words of command are given. Marked divisions, prepare to form the wedge in advancing: march. At the first notice, the files and ranks close suddenly; at the second, the three files of the centre, which will be the two first left files of the division on the right, and the first right file in the division on the left, march straight forward; at their second pace, the first file, that is contiguous to them on the right, and that which is equally contiguous on the left, move in their turn, so as to have their chiefs or leaders on a line, and in a rank, as it were, with the second soldiers of the three files of the centre; at the second pace of the files, who have made the second motion, the files that touch them march immediately likewise, and the same manœuvre is to continue successively; each head of a file taking notice not to move, until the moment he finds himself on a line with the second man of the file contiguous, &c.”

This method is beyond dispute the most simple, short, and secure that can be devised. The men occupy necessary and proper spaces, and if the enemy’s resistance should stop their head, the rest of the files, continuing their movements, would all arrive on the same front to engage together, that is, they would be in their primitive order of the phalanx. This author, to whose observations we refer from page 170 to page 203, thus concludes: we shall only remark, that all terms, metaphorically applied, sooner or later produce doubts and uncertainty. Neither a column or triangle of men should have ever been denominated a wedge; for a line of troops is not formed to be split like a piece of timber; it may be opened, broken through, or divided into as many parts as possible.

WEIGHTS, in military matters, are those in general use, except in artillery, where hundreds are made use of, each of 112lb. quarters, each of 28lb, and pounds, each of 16 ounces.

Every officer should know the weight of the ordinary musquet, rifle, carbine, and musquetoon; the weight of ball carried by each, for proof and service; the weight of powder according to quality required for each gun, and for practice and service, as well as the range of each weapon.

Artillery officers should know the weight of metal in iron and brass guns of every calibre: they should know the difference between the weight of metal in guns formerly and at present, and the reasons for the reduction of the weight of metal; they should know the length as well as weight of guns, and the weight of cannon ball, and the windage allowed for cannon shot; they should know the weight allowed for case, cannister, and grape shot; and the weight of powder in every case. They should know the weight of mortars of every dimension, and of the shells which they throw, and the powder necessary for every elevation and use.

The weight which horses and waggons can bear and draw on given kinds of roads. The burdens which boats, barges, and water craft can bear and carry on streams or rivers; and the expence of carriage by weight or measure in every situation. Military men should know the weight of men, horses, and every description of matter used or liable to be moved in service.

TABLE OF TROY-WEIGHT,
Shewing the quantity of grains Troy-Weight contained by each of the weights used in the trade of precious metals, and the relation of foreign weights to 100 pounds Troy-Weight.

Countries
and Places.		Names of
the Weights.		Contents
of each
weight
——		Equiv.
to 100
pounds
——
grainsnum. 100
Amsterdam marc3798 151,66
Antwerp marc3798 151,66
Augsburgh marc3043 158,09
Basil marc3612 159,46
Berlin marc3616 159,30
Bern marc3813 151,06
Bombay tola178¹⁄₄3231,25
Bonn marc3609 159,62
Botzen marc4330 133,04
Bremen marc3612 159,46
Breslaw marc3016 199,99
Brunswick marc3603 159,85
Brussels marc3798 151,66
Cairo rotolo6887 83,64
China tale579 994,81
Cologne marc3612 159,46
Constantinople cheky4926 116,93
Copenhagen marc3641 158,19
Coromandel seer4293 134,16
Cracow marc3069 187,68
Damascus rotolo34432 16,73
Dantzic marc3605¹⁄₂159,75
Dresden marc3605¹⁄₂159,75
England- pound5760 100,00
ounce480 1200,00
Florence pound5244 109,84
France- marc3780 152,33
kilogramme15446 37,29
Francfort marc3612 159,46
Geneva marc3787³⁄₄152,07
Genoa pound4897²⁄₃117,61
Hamburgh marc3608 159,64
Hanover marc3608 159,64
Holland marc3798 151,66
Japan tale580⁵⁄₈992,02
Konigsberg- marc3023 190,52
idem Berlin weight3616 159,30
Leghorn pound5244 109,84
Leipsic marc3606 159,75
Liege marc3800 151,58
Lubec marc3608 159,64
Magdeburg marc3607 159,68
Malabar seer4293 134,16
Manheim marc3611 159,49
Milan marc3631 158,63
Munich marc3612 159,46
Naples pound4954 116,27
Nuremberg marc3688 156,19
Pegu tical237¹⁄₄2427,80
Persia mitigal71³⁄₄8027,90
Pisa pound5237 110,00
Pondicherry seer4293 134,16
Portugal marc3542¹⁄₂162,60
Prague marc3916 147,08
Ratisbon marc3800 151,58
Riga marc3227 178,50
Rome pound5239 109,95
Russia pound6314 91,23
Sienna pound5179 111,22
Spain marc3551 162,21
Sweden marc3252 177,12
Surat tola187¹⁄₂3066,35
Tripoli mitical73³⁄₄7810,16
Tunis ounce486¹⁄₂1183,96
Turin marc3799 151,62
Venice- marc3686 156,26
ounce460³⁄₄1250,12
Vienna marc4333 132,93
Warsaw marc3114 184,97
Wilna marc3006 191,62
Wirtemburg marc3612 159,46
Zurich marc3615 159,34