CHEVAUX-DE-FRISE. 107 



Many a man has lost a leg by a shark, the fish having bitten 

 it completely through, bone and all, and there have been cases 

 where a shark has actually severed a man's body, going off with 

 one half, and leaving the other clinging to the rope by which 

 he was trying to haul himself on board. 



Spiked Defences. 



This mode of defence is, perhaps, one of the most primitive in 

 existence, and takes a wonderful variety of forms. The spiked 

 railings of our parks and gardens, the broken glass on walls, 

 and even the spiked collars for dogs, are all modifications of 

 this principle. 



On the illustrations are several examples of spikes used for 

 military purposes. The first is known by the name of 

 " Che vaux-de-f rise," and is extensively used in forming an ex- 

 temporised fence where no great strength is needed. The structure 

 is perfectly simple, consisting of a number of iron bars with 

 sharpened ends, and an iron tube some inches in diameter, which 

 is pierced with a double set of holes. When not in use, the bars 

 and tube can be packed in a small compass, but when they are 

 wanted, the bars are thrust through the holes as shown in the 

 illustration, and the fence is completed in a few minutes. The 

 horizontal bars are linked together by chains, so as to prevent 

 them from being shifted, and a defence such as this is generally 

 used for surrounding parks of artillery and the like. 



All who have the least acquaintance with military matters 

 must be familiar with the " Square,'' and its uses in the days of 

 old. I say in the days of old, because in the present day the 

 rapid development of guns and rifles has entirely destroyed the 

 old arrangement. So lately, for example, as the day of Water- 

 loo, troops might manoeuvre in safety when they were more 

 than two hundred yards from the enemy. Now, a regiment 

 that attempted to manoeuvre in open ground would be cut to 

 pieces by the rifles of the enemy at a thousand yards' distance. 



In those days, however, the square was a tower of safety 

 when rightly formed. It was formed in several rows. The 

 outer line knelt, with the butts of their muskets on the ground, 

 and the bayonet pointing upwards at an angle of forty-five. 



