CARBINEERS, or Carabineers. All regiments of light armed horse were formerly called so; but since the establishing of hussars and chasseurs, they have lost that denomination; and now all the cavalry are called carabineers, who carry the carabine.

CARACOLE, a semi-circular motion or half-wheel; chiefly applied to that used either by individuals or squadrons of cavalry, to prevent an enemy from discovering where they intend to make their attack.

CARBON, charcoal. It is the name in the new chemistry given to every body which has the properties or qualities of the carbonic acid or charcoal; impregnated in certain degrees, bodies are called carbonates. See [Aigremore].

Carbone. Pure charcoal is called carbone in the new chemical nomenclature. It is the black residuum of vegetables, which have suffered a complete decomposition of their volatile principles by fire. Charcoal is black, brittle, sonorous, and light. It is placed among simple bodies, because no experiment has hitherto shown the possibility of decomposing it. It exists in the animal, vegetable, and mineral regions. When it is required to procure carbone in a state of great purity, it must be dried by strong ignition in a closed vessel.

Carbonic acid. Carbonaceous acid. Fixed air. Mephitic gas. Aerial acid. The name of cretaceous acid appears to agree best with this substance, because it is contained in very large quantities in chalk; and there is no other body with which it has so strong an affinity, as with lime, which composes the base of this earthy salt. The carbonic acid possesses all the more obvious qualities of air, and exists in the atmosphere, of which it is a small part.

Atmospheric air. In 100 parts of atmospheric air there are 72 of azote, 27 of oxygene, and 1 of carbonic acid.

CARCASS, a composition of combustibles. Carcasses are of two sorts, oblong and round: the uncertain flight of the first sort has almost rendered them useless. They are prepared in the following manner: boil 12 or 15 lb. of pitch in a glazed earthen pot; mix with that 3 lb. of tallow, 30 lb. of powder, 6 lb. of salt-petre, and as many stopins as can be put in. Before the composition is cold, the carcass must be filled; to do which, smear your hands with oil or tallow, and fill the carcass 1-third full with the above composition; then put in loaded pieces of gun or pistol barrels, loaded grenades, and fill the intervals with composition; cover the whole over with coarse cloth, well sewed together, keeping it in a round form. Then put it into the carcass, having a hollow top and bottom, with bars running between them to hold them together, and composed of four slips of iron joined at top, and fixed at the bottom, at equal distances, to a piece of iron, which, together with the hoops, when filled, form a complete globular body. When quite finished and cold, the carcass must be steeped in melted pitch, and then instantly immerged in cold water. Lastly, bore three or four holes at top, and fill the same with fuze composition, covering the holes with pitch until used. Carcasses are thrown out of mortars, and weigh from 50 to 230 lb. according to the size of the mortars they are to be thrown out of. There are other carcasses for the sea-service, which differ from a shell only in the composition, and in the four holes from which it burns when fired.

Carcasses were first used by the bishop of Munster, at the siege of Groll, in 1672, where the duke of Luxemburg commanded.

CARCASSES. Their dimensions and weight, 1796.

Kinds.Weight.Time
each
will
burn.
Empty.Of com-
position.		Complete.
Round forlb.oz.dr.lb.oz. dr.lb.oz. dr.Min.
Mortars and How’rs.1319410111814—213 81611
10 891311 7 811 97 6118¹⁄₂
8 44 9 5 4 411 4814—5-
Guns.42 27 3— 2 711 2910115
32 2013 5 114 5 2211114-
24 1412— 1 911 16 5114
18 111311 1 1 5 1215—4
Carronades.68——————
42 26—— 2 7— 28 7—4-
32 2110— 113— 23 7—4
24 14 5— 2 5— 1610—3-
18 10 4— 1 2— 11 6—3
Oblong for
Mortars and How’rs.10 36 7 53510— 72 1 512
8 16 5 518 2— 34 7 510
5¹⁄₂  112 2 615—  811 36
4-  1 0 6 311 7  411134