508 MACHETECHNICS. 



would always endeavor to avoid being exposed to an oblique, or a 

 flank attack. An army throwing back one wing, so as to present a 

 salient angle in its line, is said to form a potence, or crotchet ; but 

 such a position can rarely be recommended. Oblique movements, 

 are often advantageously made by echelons, of battalions, or brigades, 

 preserving certain intervals, by which they are left more free to 

 inancBuvre, or engage, or retreat. To attack the weakest point of 

 an enemy, with an overwhelming force, and then follow up the suc- 

 cess, appears to be the leading maxim of Strategy ; applicable by sea 

 as well as by land. 



CHAPTER V. 



NAVITACTICS. 



NAVITACTICS, or Naval Tactics, is that branch of Machetechnics 

 which relates to the arming, manoeuvring, and fighting of ships of 

 war. The name is derived from the Greek, vav$, (or the Latin 

 navis], a ship ; and raocrco, I arrange. This great division of the 

 arts of war, depends immediately on the branches of Navitecture and 

 Navigation ; which have already found their place in the present clas- 

 sification of knowledge, and to which we here simply refer, (p. 451). 

 Ships of War, are distinguished from merchant vessels, by their 

 being generally larger, stronger, and armed with numerous guns ; 

 while the latter seldom carry more than one or two, for making sig- 

 nals. They are also recognized by some peculiarities of rigging ; 

 which are at once detected by a practised eye ; but which cannot 

 here be described. A navy, is the whole assemblage of vessels of 

 war belonging to one nation ; any number of which, serving together, 

 under one commander, is called a fleet, or, if small, a squadron. 

 On the importance of navies to the defence of maritime nations, now 

 so generally admitted, we need not here enlarge. 



The earliest instance of naval warfare, is assigned by some writers 

 to Erythras, who, at an early period, became master of the Red Sea ; 

 but by others to Neptune, or to Jason. The ancient ships of war, 

 called galleys, were usually of moderate size ; and, though provided 

 with masts and sails, they were generally manoeuvred, in battle, by 

 oars alone. Some of them had two, and some of them three rows or 

 banks of oars, one above the other ; those above being the longest, 

 and pulled by men sitting or standing on higher benches. Those 

 with three banks, were called by the Romans, triremes. The beak, 

 or foremost end, of the galleys, was made very strong : often present- 

 ing the shape of a lion, or some formidable figure : and an attack was 

 sometimes made by rowing with all force, and striking, with the beak, 

 the side of the opposing vessel, with a view to crush and sink it, or 

 run it down. The largest of the Grecian vessels at the great battle 

 of Salamis, had 50 oars, but only 18 fighting men. 



The rowers, were deemed of inferior grade to the soldiers ; who 

 fought with javelins and arrows, or manned the heavy weapons. 



