MISCELLANEOUS ESSAYS.

cupied while ftanding» bfliaufe 31¢ lall man cannot move till the firll: has advanced the length of the whole column. This is, n0 doubt, true in practice, and Marlhal Saxe thought it irremediable without the tail : nothing, however, is fo eafy to be remedied, nordeferves it more; becaufe, as we have al- ready faid, marching is the molt important point in all the military art.

A man polled in a line occupies nearly two feet, from one elbow to another, and not quite one foot from front to rear ; that is, a man is not quite one foot thick; con- fequently, when the lines make a motion to the right or left, the dillance between each man is above a foot: which is augmented by near two more, if they all begin the march with the fame foot: fo that all the difficulty conlills in making the men march with the fame foot, and keep time con- liantly; which is eafily done, if the fpecies of ftep you would have them march, is marked by the drum, or any other inllrument. This is often necelTary after pafiing defiles, and when they march in

irregular and unequal ground, which is apt to throw them in confufion. The article of march-

ing is fo effential, that it requires and deferves the greatefl: care and attention : it may be aflierted, that the army which marches befl: mull, if the reli: is equal, in the end prevail. 1f what l here propofe, and what is aftually executed by the Portuguefe army with great precilion, be once taught, f0 that feveral regiments formed in one column can praélife it, an army of forty battalions, for example, will make a given march in lels

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than half the time which they now require, as may be demon- llrated.

Cur author then critici/E’: on the dtfkretzt hind: of firing made u]? of, which, hefays, are for the mzfl part dangerour or imprafiicahle; and tnahe: many curious" ohflr-‘uatiolz: upon all the evolutions made, or that jhoula’ he made in aéiion. H: next enlarge: upon the fcience ofen- camping, the theory qf marching, the afie of artillery, (fir. In rev/nth <we douht not hut the military gentle- men will/ind than) thing: ‘very well =worth their notire; hut a: the] are too long, and it would he hoyond our purpo/e to infer: than, fhall proceed to hi: ohfirruations upon the military talent: of the dffflrenr Imtiozz: in Europe.

Next to the local geograph/of acountry, the natural hillory and political conltitution of it is an object that deferves the utmolt at; tention: the quantity and quality of its productions, foil, climate, food, and form of government; becaufe on thefe the phyfical and moral qualities ofthe inhabitants entirely depend. Thofe who in_ habit the plains, and rich cc-un- tries, are generally etfeminate and bad foldiers, impatient under the leall fatigue, are foon lick, require too much food, and are lefs active than thofe of the mountains, and in every refpefl inferior to them. What did not the poor High- landers do? What did they not fuffer? They will live where an Englilhman, though animated with equal courage and love of glory, will perilh; merely from the dih ference of their fituatiotrs before they become foldiers. The Croats in the Emprefs’s fervice {eldom or ever camp, and are expofed to all

the