WOHKEELE, Ind. An ambassador.
WOLF-Holes. In the defence of places, are round holes, generally about two or three feet in diameter at the top, one at bottom, and two and an half deep, dug in the front of any work. Sometimes a sharp-pointed stake or two are fixed at the bottom, and covered with very thin planks, and green sods; consequently the enemy, on advancing, fall in, and are put into confusion.
WOOD. Artillery carriages are generally made of elm, ash, and oak. The bed and house of a sea mortar are made of oak, and the bolster of elm. The bottoms of land mortar beds are of oak, and the upper parts of elm.
Carriages—Ship.—The cheeks, transoms, and trucks of elm; the axle trees of live oak.
——Garrison.—The whole of oak; trucks, iron.
——Field.—Heavy 24 and 12 Pr. the cheeks and transoms of elm; the axle trees of ash or hickory. In the wheel the nave and fellies are of elm; the spokes of ash; limber shafts, bars, and axle trees are of ash. Light guns, from 3 to 12 prs. the cheeks and transoms are of elm: the ammunition boxes are of sycamore. In the wheels, the nave is of elm, the spokes of oak, and the fellies of ash. In the limber the shafts and bars of ash.
Wood Matches. See [Portfire].
WOODEN-Bottoms. In laboratory works, are cylindrical pieces of wood, of different lengths and diameters, agreeable to the size of the gun. They are hollowed at one end to receive the shot, and the flannel cartridge is fastened to the other end: the whole forming one cartridge, which is put into the piece at one motion. Iron bottoms are to be preferred.
WOOL-Packs. Bags of wool. They are frequently ranged in form of a breastwork, because they resist cannon-shot. See [Siege].
WORD (Mot, Fr.) A single part of speech, consisting of one or more syllables, for the purpose of expressing ideas; In a military sense, it signifies signal, token, order; as watch-word, &c.