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

173

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