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all the uprights; and the lowest of those bracesare continued to, and unite in the centre of thebridge, under the straining beam—forming, con-sequently, a continued arch between the abut-ments. These braces are all sustained in theirproper places, by the uprights, which are placedabout 20 feet apart, and the whole struc-ture is so well contrived and consolidated,that had the bridge been formed in a right-lineacross the river, the central pier might havebeen dispensed with; but the bridge is con-structed, purposely, about 8 feet out of thestraight line, to form an angle pointing up-wards against the current, at the central pier,with a view (certainly erroneous) to give thework greater stability.

Methods of constructing temporary bridgesof rough timber or trees, without using nails, oremploying fine workmanship, will always befound of signal use on service; and officers ofall arms, and all ranks, would do well to studyresources of this kind. Light troops, in parti-cular, should be acquainted with expedients sonecessary to facilitate the operations of thearmy with which they may be acting, or tofavour their own desultory enterprizes, in acountry where timber is abundant.

If, for instance, a body of infantry, either