SEC

SEC

sorted in the London Gazette , the dates

oi the commissions, and names andrank of the officers, together with thenames of the othcers in whose roomthey are appointed; in like manner ascommissions in the army are publishedfrom the war-office. The expence ofsuch insertion, in the Gazette , for eachcommission, is likewise directed to becharged to the treasurer of the coun-ty, riding, or place, l’or particulars,see the last edition of Regimental Com-panion.

To SECRETE, to hide; to keep pri-vate; to harbour; to conceal, ecc.—By the Articles of War it is provided,that if any person shall harbour, con-ceal, or assist any deserter from hisMajesty's service, knowing him to besuch, the person, so offending, shall for-feit, for every such offence, the sum oflive pounds.

SECTION, (section, F'r.) from theLatin word sectio, which is derived fromscco, to cut, a part of a thing divided,or the division itself. Such particularlyare the subdivisions of a chapter, calledalso paragraphs and articles. Sometimeswe find the term section divided intoarticles; as in the Articles of War. TheRules and Regulations for the disciplineof the British army, are divided intoparts, and each part subdivided intoheads or sections of explanation. Sothat when an officer reads the highertactics under Battalion and Line, andwants any specific explanation, he mustrefer to the section. The Brill, or in-struction of the recruit, is explained inforty sections, which constitute the 1stpart. The instruction and variousoperations of the Company are explain-ed in 265 sections, which form the 2dpart.

The several operations, &c. which be-long to a battalion when it acts singly,or in line with others, are explained m108 sections, which form the 3d part.And the principal circumstances rela-tive to the movements of a considera-ble line, are explained in 32 sections,which constitute the 4th part, or theline. All of which have been compiledand arranged with much skill and ac-curacy by General Sir David Dundas .

Section, (section , Fr.) a certain pro-portion of a battalion or company,when it is told off' for military move-

ments and evolutions. It is stated inthe Rules and Regulations, that asection should never be less than fivefiles. This rule, however, is not ab-solute, as we find in another part of theRegulations, that a section may consistof four files. This relates to the infan-try ; the cavalry is not told off into sec-tions, but into ranks by three's. TheFrench use the word section for thesame purpose; but their sections arcstronger than ours. We generally di-vide a company into two sub-divisions,and each sub-division into two sections;and for the convenience of marchingthrough narrow ground, these sectionsare frequently reduced to three or eventwo files in front. The French form theircompanies into platoons, and dividetheir platoons into two sections,so thattheir sections are equal to our subdivi-sions.

SFCTOR, (sectcur, Fr.) a mathema-tical instrument of great use in findincthe proportion between quantities ot thesame kind, as between lines and lines,surfaces and surfaces, &c. for which rea-son the French call it the compass ofproportion.

The great advantage of the sector,above common scales, &c. is, that it isadapted to all radii, and all scales. T hesector is founded on the fourth propo-sition of the sixth book ot Euclid. Thesector consists of two equal legs, orrules of brass, &c. riveted together,but so as to move easily on the rivet;on the faces of the instrument areplaced several lines; the principal otwhich are, the line of equal parts, hueof chords, line of sines, line ot tangents,line of secants, and line of polygons.

To SECURE, in a military sense, topreserve, to keep, to make certain, asto secure a place, to secure a conquest*

In the management of the firelock, 1signifies to bring it to a certain position,by which the locks are secured again*;rain. Hence. .

SECURE arms! a word ot com-mand which is given to troops who areunder arms in wet weather, 1° ®

your firelock to the secure; 1 st. t ivour right hand briskly up, and p ac

under the cock, kee-ping the pieces * )

in the same position. , j

2d. Quit the butt with the left an -and seize the firelock with it at