FLINT, a well known stone, used at present with every sort of fire arms. Every soldier ought to have one or two spare flints when on service.
Flints—are usually packed in half barrels.
| Weight. | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| qrs. | lbs. | ||||||
| One half barrel contains | - | Musquet, | 2000 | — | 2 | 14 | |
| Rifle, | 3000 | — | 2 | 10 | |||
| Pistol, | 4000 | — | 2 | 15 | |||
The most transparent and free from veins are esteemed the best flints.
28 kegs of musquet flints take 18 cwt. in tonnage.
10 kegs of pistol flints take 3 cwt. 2 qrs. in tonnage.
To Float, a column is said to float when it loses its perpendicular line in march, and becomes unsteady in its movements.
FLOATING-batteries, vessels used as batteries, to cover troops in landing on an enemy’s coast.
FLOGGING, a barbarous punishment in general use among the British foot soldiers. It is inflicted with a whip having several lashes, and is calculated to degrade and render the man totally unfit for a soldier. It is not practised in any other army in Europe.
FLOOD-GATE, in fortified towns, is composed of 2 or 4 gates, so that the besieged by opening the gates may inundate the environs so as to keep the enemy out of gun shot.