At this precaution the Serjeant is to see, that a profound silence be instantly observed by all the recruits, that their attention be fixed, ,which they are to signify by immediately turning their faces to the corporal, whose motions and attitudes are to serve them for their guide and imitation. [67]

Seize the Firelock with the right hand just under the guard, so as that the fore-finger does touch it, and turn up the lock briskly at the same time with the left hand, without altering the direction of the barrel.

Raise the firelock off the left shoulder with the right hand, and, without inclining or moving the head, quit the but-end with the left hand, and bring the firelock round to the right side with a rapid motion, turning the barrel inwards to the body, and then seize it instantly with the left hand above the lock, so that the little finger may nearly touch the hammer spring, letting the thumb lie pointed upwards, close to the barrel along the stock; the barrel is to be held perpendicular, and so high, that the lower part of the left arm may be kept level and parallel to the body, and of an equal height with the neck, and in such manner, that the chin may just appear above it; the upper part of the right arm is also to be kept level, and no pat of the firelock is to touch the body.

By recover being thus made on the right side, it affords a considerable advantage to the man, and [68] in so much, that it enables him to se clearly whatever is before him which could not possibly be the case were the recover to be made in a direct opposition to his face.

Bring the firelock briskly down with both hands, sinking it so low, that the cock might be a little higher than the right hip, or that it may be held in such a position, as will admit the lower part of the left arm to remain level. On bringing the firelock down, the right toe is turned out at the same time, an half more than it was before, and without altering the due front of the body, placing withal, the right thumb upon the cock, and the fore-finger upon the trigger. From the cock downwards, the firelock is to be held firm against the body and right thigh, which will give the barrel a small outward slope. The muzzle is to be held directly to the front, and without inclining either to the right or to the left; and the left thumb is to be held firm against the stock, as directed in the second motion of the last word of command, pointing upwards, and in a line with it.

This attitude is intended for a posture of defence, and differs but little from that of presented arms, as will be shewn farther on. [69]

Bring the firelock to the right side of the body with a brisk motion, and without sinking it; let the upper part of the barrel come against the hallow [sic] of the shoulder, slipping up the left hand at the same time along the stock, as high as the tip of the shoulder, and then seize the firelock with it, and hold the barrel in that position firm and perpendicular.

Quit the firelock with the right hand, and sink it with the left, as far as it will go on the right side, without bringing it in on the body, seizing the firelock at the same time with the right hand near the muzzle, so that the top of the thumb, may be as high as the end of the stock, and extended along the outside of it, close to the barrel.

Turn first the barrel briskly to you with the right hand, and at the same time turn the right toe so as to place it behind the butt and close to it, letting the body withal make an half-face to the right.

Slip down the right hand along the firelock as far as it will go without inclining the body, and step out at the same time a moderate pace with the left foot; bend the left knee, and lay the firelock with the lock uppermost upon the ground, placing the inside of the right knee upon the lock, and the barrel pointing directly to the front; in doing of which the face is to be kept erect, in order the better to observe the motion of the guide or the corporal, letting withal the left hand hang easy down by the left thigh.

Quit the firelock with the right hand; bring up the left foot to its former ground and stand upright, making an half-face with the body to the right; both hands are to hang easy down, only that the right is to be kept open with the fingers distended, and the palm to the front. [7l]

Turn in the right toe over the butt to its former position; and turn in also, at the same time, the palm of the right hand to the thigh, and make withal a full front with the body.

The grounding of arms is an operation, to which, in one instance, I am by no means reconciled; I mean the use it is applied to on guard; for if the weather is dry, it cracks and spoils the stocks, and if it be damp it rusts the barrels and locks; and what is still of greater consequence, if a guard happens to be kept in a disaffected place, the arms being thus imprudently laid out and exposed, afford the most convenient opportunity that can be wished for to a few men properly armed, to seize upon the whole, and convert them to whatever uses they shall think fit; and hence my reason for wishing that the practice of grounding the firelocks upon guard was totally rejected and abolished.

Note. As the performance of this operation, with that of the two following words of command, is only the reverse of what went before, but the motions the same, I shall therefore be the less particular in my directions, a reference being duly sufficient for the purpose.

Place the right toe, as before, close behind the butt, and turn out also the palm of the right hand, [72] making withal an half-face to the right at the same time.

Step out with the left foot, bend the left knee, and let the left hand hang easy down by the left thigh; lay the right knee upon the lock, and take hold of the firelock with the right hand a little above the last rammer pipe.

Rise briskly with the firelock, step back with the left foot to its former position, and erect, and make an half-face to the right at the same time.

Quit the firelock with the right hand, and with a quick motion seize it again with the same hand near the muzzle; turn in the right toe to the inside of the butt, make a full front with your body, and hold the barrel perpendicular.

Slip down the right hand along the barrel, as far as it will go, without inclining your body, and there hold the firelock between the thumb and fore-finger, the thumb being inwards, and each pointing downwards along the stock. [73]

Raise the firelock with the right hand so high, that the cock may be a little higher than the hip, and seize the firelock with the left at the same time, a little above the hammer spring.

Quit the firelock with the right hand, and seize it with the same close under the guard, placing the thumb upon the cock, and the forefinger upon the trigger.

Quit the firelock with the left hand, and with the right bring it round to the left side, with a rapid motion, placing the butt-end at the same instant, in the palm of the left hand, with the firelock upon the left shoulder, in a proper position. (See Sect. I. Instruction XIV of this Chapter.) In bringing the firelock round to the left, the right toe is to be turned into its proper position, the right thumb and forefinger are to be taken off the cock and trigger, giving the firelock at the same time, such a turn in the right hand, as that the barrel may be brought to the front, letting the thumb be pointed upwards upon the screw plate opposite the lock. [74]

Seize the firelock with the right hand at the scutcheon [sic] plate; so that the fore finger may touch the lower part of the guard, letting the nuckles [sic] be to the front, with the thumb placed upright on the inside of the stock. The firelock is in that manner to be held firm to the body, and without altering in the least the position of it.

Quit the butt with the left hand, and seize the firelock at the same time, with the same hand, at the tip of the left shoulder, so as that the little finger may just touch the top of the shoulder; the nuckles are to be placed in the front, and the thumb extended on the outside along the stock, and close to the barrel.

Quit the firelock with the right hand, and turn the butt, at the same instant, with a quick motion of the left hand under the left arm, letting the muzzle drop [75] forward, which will occasion the barrel to be underneath, or the rammer to be uppermost: the right hand is to hang easy down by the right side; the upper part of the left arm, is to be kept in a perpendicular direction; and the firelock is to rest a little upon the left hip, where it is to be pressed close to the side by the arm, and held firm to the body.

Note. This operation being exactly the same in all its motions, as that of the last word of command, only being reversely performed, I shall therefore be the less precise in my direction, as a reference will be sufficient for the purpose.

Quit the firelock with the right hand, and let it fall down in the left hand as far as it will go on the left side, turning the thumb inwards, and the barrel downwards, at the same time; make withal an half face to the left, on the left heel, and seize the firelock at that instant with the right hand at the end of the stock near the muzzle, so as that the thumb may bear against the end of the stock at the inside, while the fingers are placed on the outside; the left arm is to hang perpendicular; the barrel is to be held firm against the left thigh; and without letting it incline either to the right or to the left, the lower part of the right arm is to be kept level, so as to make a right angle with the upper part, which will determine the slope of the barrel, and the distance of the muzzle from the face: and in order to make the requisite half face to the left, the left toe is to be turned about an half more to the left; bringing up at the same time the right foot and to place it so as to make it stand at right angles with the left, letting the right heel be opposite to the centre of the left foot; and at the distance of about seven inches from it. [77]

Quit the firelock with the right hand, and with it seize the handle of the bayonet, so that the thumb may be placed upon the shank of it.

Draw the bayonet with a quick motion, and place the socket of it, directly over the muzzle of the firelock, holding the blade in a direction with the barrel.

Enter the muzzle into the socket of the bayonet, so that the sight upon the end of the barrel, may freely enter the grove of the socket; then thrust down the bayonet upon it, and turn the blade to the left, and afterwards give the bayonet another thrust downwards to fix it.

Quit the handle of the bayonet with the right hand, and seize the firelock with it, as above directed in the third motion, at the end of the stock near the muzzle. [78]

Note. The performance of this operation, is exactly the same as that directed in the second and third words of command, but with this small difference, that the right thumb is not to be placed upon the cock, nor the fore-finger upon the trigger; this attitude being intended for nothing more than the ceremony or form of a salute. [79]

Bring up the firelock to the position of a recover, as is directed in the second motion of the second word of command, turning in the right toe to its former position at the same time.

Turn to the right upon the left heel, with a spring or brisk motion of the body, so as to make a full face to the right, placing the right foot as before at its proper distance from the left.

Bring down the firelock with both hands to the attitude of present your arms, as is directed in the last word of command.

Note, This operation is exactly the same as that of the last, but with this small difference, that as a semicircle is now to be described, a greater spring of the body, is the more requisite to perform it.

Note, This with the two following words of command, differ no ways in their operations from the three preceding ones, but in this, that the right foot is now to be brought up, instead of falling back with it as before; the revolution to the left, upon the left heel, and the divisions of the circle being equally the same, and therefore require no further directions.

Why I prefer the above method of Facing upon one heel, to that of performing it upon both heels, as is now practised, is for this reason; that when swords were in use with the infantry, the obstructions which they always occasioned in the above revolutions, by the points sticking out from the mens sides, frequently incommoded the men of the same rank so much, [81] as to clause them to jostle and interrupt each other, which often removed them from the centre point of their revolution, and of course, altered their due distances from one another; and therefore it was then held necessary, in order to remedy and avoid those inconveniences, to oblige each man to perform his revolutions upon both heels at once, as being a more firm position, though in the doing of which, a greater number of motions should be necessary, and consequently would take up more time, than if the revolutions were simply to be performed upon one heel; but swords being now laid aside, and as a man can turn sufficiently firm and steady upon one heel, by the spring or velocity of his revolution, I therefore choose, as well for the sake of saving time, as to avoid every unnecessary motion, to adopt the former method of turning or facing upon one heel, instead of performing it now upon both, as is now practised.

Spring back with the right foot, placing the centre of it close behind the heel of the left; turn the left toe at the same time directly to the front, so that each foot may, in that position, stand at right angles with the other, or formed like the letter T; quit the firelock with the right hand at the same instant, giving it such a turn in the left without sinking it, that the muzzle may fall directly forward, and that the firelock may then rest upon the left elbow, and be in a line with the lower part of that arm, and withal seize the end of the butt in the palm of the right hand, so that the tops of the fingers may appear on the outside, while the thumb is placed on the inside and pointed upwards; the man is to look forwards, and to keep his face full to the front; the barrel is to lie level, and the firelock is to be held breast high, and supported between the fore-finger and thumb of the left hand, which are to be pointed towards the butt, along each side of the stock, so that the end of the fore-finger may come almost close to the hammer spring.

Look well to the front, push briskly forward the firelock with both hands, stepping out with the left [83] foot, and placing at the same time the end of the butt against the left breast; the barrel is to be kept level in the push, and the step is to be the length of a pace, or two feet and a half, that the Soldier may afterwards the more easily, and with greater command recover himself. In this position, the left knee is to be a little bent, in order to bring the body more forward, and that the push may annoy at a greater distance, keeping withal the right knee firm and straight, to the intent of fortifying the body against any repulsive force the bayonet may meet with.

Note, This last motion does more properly belong to the following word of command, but it is here introduced in order to prevent a violence of pain to the left arm, which it would otherwise occasion, were it for so long a while distended, as the space of time common between two words of command.

Quit the butt-end with the right hand, and at that instant seize the firelock with the same hand at the escutcheon plate, bring up the right foot, and coming to a recover as before. [84]