Notices respecting New Books. 309 



ducc them to follow his example, and store their minds with in- 

 formation, that some day may be of the greatest consequence to 

 the interest of their country. 



The number of different ways in wliich bridges may be made 

 js very great, and the materials of which they may l)e formed very 

 numerous: therefore, by thus collecting together into one volume 

 go many resources, and arranging then^. in succession under vari- 

 ous heads, the author appears to have adapted them for almost 

 all the cases and all the situations that can occur in the usual 

 march of an army. Its portat)le size, and the facility vvirh which 

 it may be referred to when occasion demands, must render it of 

 service to those who are employed in defending the cause of their 

 country. All the best writers on the art of war, both among the 

 ancients and the moderns, have been searcl>ed for hints with which 

 to enrich it; and some useful matter respecting the mathematical 

 principles of hydrostatics, and the flowing of water, as well as the 

 theory of floating bodies in general, has been collected from the 

 most able writers. These auxiliaries, joined to the author's own 

 knowledge, derived from long and active service on the continent, 

 gender the work valuable, and well-worthy the attention of all 

 those who have occasion to build these useful means of commu- 

 nication, whether for the purposes of war or peace. 



It is divided into seven sections : The first treats on the prin- 

 ciples and effects of the motion of water in rivers; on the figure 

 of their beds ; and on the formation and nature of their sinuo- 

 sities. It contains likewise the explanations and theorems that 

 are necessary for tlie further prosecution of the subject, extracted 

 from the able writings of Gulielmini, du Buat, and Bossut. It 

 concludes with some useful remarks respecting the choice of 

 places, and the best direction to take in fording rivers. 



The second section contains the dimensions and weight of pon- 

 toons, accompanied by problems respecting the depth to which 

 they sink with a given weight, and the weight corresponding to 

 given immersions; also a table, showing these at sight. He then 

 gives the practical mode of forming pontoon bridges, and some 

 important hints, concerning the precautions necessary to betaken 

 to prevent their being injured by any thing floating down the 

 stream, by accident, or by design from the encmv. H he whole 

 is illustrated by real examples, collected from military uieuioirs, 

 or the result of the author's own experience. 



Section the third contains the mode of making bridges, either 

 of boats collected on the rivers, near the seat of war, or of port- 

 able bateaux, made expressly for the purpose; together with in-, 

 stances of the use of light bateaux and row-boats in the passage 

 ©f the Limat and the Linth in 1799, and of the Khine in 1800. 



The fourth section contains the theory and practice of flying 

 U 3 bridges, 



