Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1811-08-19

" missile weapons and such Others q
ne barinrians used. With the lee.
on also. was connected train Ofarti'
) terry. consisting OF ten military engine
IF the largest. and iisiy-iiye Ola sinai
Ter size; but all OF which, either in a,
obliiue or horizontal manner. disrlars,
| I'd stones and darts with Irresistible Vi.
nlenee. The form OF Roman cam,l
was that ofan exact quadrangle. ard a
s1la," oiahout 700 yards was sui,ici.
ent for the encampment OF 10000 Ro-
mans: in the midst oS the camp. the
prcso:ium.or generals quarters. rose
above t'io others; the cavalry, the IN
fantry, and the aux:Ii,r;cs. occnnied
their respective stations; the streets
were broad and perfectly straight, and
vacant space Of 200 feet was left on
all stiles, between the tents aud Tie
rampant: Tic rampant itsc!cwas usual
" twelve feet high, armed with line
OF strong and intricate palisades, and
defended by a ditch OF twelve feet in
depth as well as in breadth. This i'm
poriant labor was performed by the
hands OF the DICTIONARIES themselves, to
whom the use ofti,e spade and the nick
axe was no less familiar than that Of
the sword or piinm. Besides their
arms. the DICTIONARIES when marching,
were laden With theirkitcl,en furniture.
the instruments Identification. and the
provision OF mary DAYS: under this
weight they were trained by regular
step to advance, in about six hours, near
twenty miles. On the appearances OF
an enemy. they threw aside their bar
gage, and by easy and rapid eyoIutioes
converted the column of,,narch i,ito an
order Of battle: the singers and arch
ers skirmisiied in the front; tie auyiii
aries formed the first line. and were
seconded or sustained by the strengtl,
ofthc legions; the cavalry covered ti,e
Hanks. and the military engines were
placed in the rear.
In the time of tie AntoBines the mi
'itary peace establishment of the en-
pire consisted of thirty !esions. com
posed OF 1880 men each, making a to
tai standing force CT $4,000 men, TO
which add the PPetOrian bands, com
pnted at 10000. and the marine forces.
rccAOned at about $4,000, and we have
total Of $50 900 men. 'ihe thirty Ie-
gions were distributed as follows: s in
Britain; 5 upon the Rhine; II upon
the Danube; Sup0n the Eunhrates
in Egypt 4 in Africa; and in Spain.
The iegions were encamped on the
hanks Ofthe great rivers. and along the
frontiers Oft!ie Barbar;ans. The city
Cohorts and Pretorian guards watched
over the safety ofthe monarch and the
capital. Two permanent fleets were.
stationed IN the most convenient ports
OF Italy, the one at Rayenua, on the I'd.
ria'ic, the other at M;senuan, in the
bay Of Naples. Besides these two pOrts.
a very considerable force was stationed
at Frejus, on the coast Of Provence,
and the Euxine was guarded by forty
ships and three thousand soldiers. To
all these add the feet which preserved
the communication between GauI and
Britain, and great number Of YES
sells constantly maintained on the Rhine
and the Danube, to harrass the country
or TO intercept the passage Of the Bar
5ariaas. lis estimated that the gene
raj annual income OF the Roman pro-
yinces could seldom amomtto less thar
fifteen or twenty millions sterling. or
from sixty TO eighty millions of dol
lars. For the details of these interest
ing topics. refer the reader to the We
~ excellent work of Mr.. Gibbon.