B R E 



given for the interior (lope apply eqinlly to lliis, except 

 that boards and ftone arc nol lure l"o da^jjcrous to the 

 pirrifon. 



That the troops thus protefted by the bread-work may 

 be luubled to tire on the enemy without obllruAion, sn 

 clcv;itioii of earth, calKd a bunqiuHf, is maile immediately 

 bthiiid it, which the I'vihlicrs mount wlieii th.ey are to iire. 

 'I'hid Ihould be raifcd until the lieigfit of the brcall-work 

 above is about four feet two ii:clies, that the foldier iland- 

 inj; upon it may make ufe of his «rmi properly, and fire 

 conveniently over. If the hcii;ht of the brca!l-work is fix 

 feet, th;a of the banquette will accordingly be one foot two 

 inches ; and if the breail-vvork is higlier, the banquette 

 mull alfo be ra'fed. To render the alceiit perfectly eafy, 

 its flope (hould be very broad, at Icall ecpial to, or even 

 double its height. The breadth of the banquette (hould 

 be three -fett or more, accordinjr to the number of ranks m 

 which the men are drawn up. The upper fnrface, funimit, 

 or crown of the breall-v.ork, mull be made with a declivity 



B R E 



canivon are placed behind a work, their difiance afundcr 

 (lioulJ be from 1 2 to ;o feet. The piece of the bread- work 

 which remains (landing between every two is called a merhn. 

 As it is to be expcfted that the enemy will direft his princi- 

 pal fire againll the batteries, the merlons ought to be very 

 llron"-, and conftnidled with attention ; and as mulkctry are 

 not ufeJ behind them, they may, for the belter fecurity of 

 the "Tunncrs, be m:ide eijjht or nine feet high. 



To procure the earth for the formation of the bread- 

 work, a ditch is made on the outfide of it, by which the 

 enemy has an additional obllacie to overcome in his attempts 

 to approach. In fome cafes tlie ditch is behind the work ; 

 as, for example, on a very llei-p hill, where a fofle in front 

 would not render the enemy's endeavours to climb it more 

 difficult, and it is more convenient to make ufe of the earth 

 withiu the breall-work. The ditch is made Hoping on 

 both fidef. The inner (lope is called the fcarp, and the 

 outer the comiterfcarp. The width of their bales is deter- 

 mined bv the nature of the foil ; but to give the enemy all 



towards the country, other\eile when the enemy is advanced poffible trouble m getting in and out of the ditch, both 



within a fl>ort diilance, he cannot be hit from behind the dopes (hould be as Iteep as the tenacity of the ground ^sA\ 



work. The dllTerence in height between the (lopes de- allow. If the fcarp forms one continued (fnrface with the 



pcnds on the thitknefs of the work. If this is 24 feet, exterior (lope of the bread work, the enemy has the greateft 



the exterior talus may be two feet lower than the inner ; difficulty in gaming the fummit ; but as the fcarp m this 



if the breall-work is weaker, the difference mud be propor- cafe fuftains too great preflnre, it would foon give way, and 



tionablv IdTened. If on an eminence, it will be n.ceffary a confiderable part of the work with it. Even (hould the 



to Rive the fuperior Hope a gi-catcr declivity. Its proper fcarp (land hrm, the earth mull conltantly fall from the 



inclination may be eafily determined, only taking care that bread-work mto the ditch, and hU it up to our great difad. 



th« fire regulated by it is not confined to a fingle point on 

 the ground, but extends as much as pofTible. When the 

 bread-work has no exterior (lope, but the fummit is con- 

 tinued outwards until it meets the furface of the ground, it 

 is a perfeft glacis. In this cafe the bafe mud be much 

 broader than that of a common bread-work ; otherwife the 

 work would be too weak, and the (lope fo deep, that the 

 fire afting in that direftion indead of grazing, would bury 

 Two advantages are derived from a 



vantage. To prevent this, the bread-work is thrown up 

 at a (mall didance from the edge of the ditch, thereby leav- 

 ing a free palTage between them, called a lerme. This cer- 

 tainly facilitates the enemy's mounting the bread-work ; but 

 to diminilh this difadvantage, it (hould be made as narrow 

 as polTible. The fize of the ditch is regulated by that of 

 the bread-work. The requifite quantity of earth may be 

 procured equally, whether the ditch is wide and (hallow, 

 narrow or deep ; but the removing it is eafier by the latter 



itfelf in the ground. _._ ^- . ,1 ,r - ■en 



glacis: every point in front of it is expofed to the fmall arms mode, and the enemy will alfo have greater dilBculty in 

 of the garrifon, which is not the cafe in any other kind of crofTing the ditch. In low ground, however, this cannot 



bread- work ; and it cannot be dedroyed by the enemy's 

 Ihot, which only drikcs into it, the loofe earth remaining in 

 its proper place ; but it is attended with this difadvantage, 

 that it may be mounted without difficulty. 



When cannon are planted behind a bread-work, they 

 may either fire en barbette, or through embrafures. In the 

 former cafe, indead of a banquette, an elevation of earth 

 is formed fufficicntly large to contain guns mounted on their 

 carriages, and of fueh a height that their muzzles may 

 reach above the fummit. This elevation mull be carried to 

 within two and a half, or three feet from the top of the 

 work, and fufficicntly broad to afford convenient room for 

 the gun and men attached to it. About ten or twelve feet 

 are allowed for each piece of cannon. The length fliould be 



always be done ; and the ditch mud at all times be fulfi- 

 ciently broad not to be leaped acrofs. k is ufually 10 or 

 12 feet wide, and, wherever the fituation allows, at lead fix 

 feet deep ; but if thofe dimenlions will not furnifh the necef- 

 fary quantity of earth, an augmentation mud be ntade either 

 of the width or deptfi, and fometimes of both. 



A bread-work, condrufled according to the foregoing 

 rules, covers our garrifon againd the fire of an enemy, and 

 enables us to (ire on him with tolerable fecurity during his 

 march towards it. Notwithllanding this, if he is refolute, 

 and not to be deterred by the lofs of a few men, and as there 

 is no particular difficulty in furmounting the ditch or bread- 

 work, we have ultimately no fuperiority over him, and mud 

 therefore have recourlc to other obdacles to impede his pro- 



from twelve to eighteen feet, according to the gun, that fpace grefs. Thefe arenaturalandartificial. Certain naturalobdacles 



may be left behind to prevent its rnnning down in the recoil, render the aceefs to a place extremely difficult ; fuch as when 



An eafy (lope, called a ramp, is made to every battery of this the bread-work is behind a river, canal, or morafs, too deep 



nature, that the guns maybe run up without difficulty. This for the enemy to wade through; or when it is fituatedin rocky 



method, however, is only fafe when the enemy cannot bring ground, or on a high and deep hill which cannot well be 



artilleiy againd the bread-work, or when poded on an emi- climbed by a body of men in any regular order. Here there is 



nenec; and even then we (hould endeavour to cover the art ill try- 

 men with gabions or fand-bag'; placed upon the work, leaving 

 an opening of 1-5 or 2 feet between them for the mouth of 

 the cannon. If two or more rows of gabions are placed one 

 before the other, the opening mud increafe in width towards 

 the front, that we may be enabled to point the gun to 

 either fide, as well as diredlly forwards. When the guns, and 

 men who fer7e them, are much cr.pofed to the enemy's fire, 

 tmlrnftires are to be cut for tliem. When fevcral pieces of 



no abfolute necelfity for a ditch ; and provided thebreall- work 

 covers us from the enemy's fire, it may be confidered as per- 

 fect. Artificial obdacles are, I. Palifaih!, which may either 

 be fixed in the open field in front of the ditch, or in the ditch, 

 itfelf, fometimes in two rows, or ladly upon the banquette, 

 where they occafion excclfive inconvenience to the enemy, 

 and afford effential protection to the garrifon. 2. Fraifes, 

 buried in the exterior flope of the bread-work, tlitir points 

 inclining a little downwards. Where there is alfo a rowr 



of 



