the ground on which an army pitch their tents. It is marked out by the quarter-master general, who appoints every regiment their ground.

The chief advantages to be minded in choosing a camp for an army, are, to have it near the water, in a country of forage, where the soldiers may find wood for dressing their victuals; that it have a free communication with garrisons, and with a country from whence it may be supplied with provisions; and, if possible, that it be situated on a rising ground, in a dry gravelly soil. Besides, the advantages of the ground ought to be considered, as marshes, woods, rivers, and inclosures; and if the camp be near the enemy, with no river or marsh to cover it, the army ought to be intrenched. An army always encamps fronting the enemy; and generally in two lines, running parallel about 500 yards distance; the horse and dragoons, on the wings, and the foot, in the centre: sometimes a body of two, three, or four brigades is encamped behind the two lines, and is called the body of reserve. The artillery and bread-waggons are generally encamped in the rear of the two lines. A battalion of foot is allowed 80 or 100 paces for its camp; and 30 or 40 for an interval between one battalion and another. A squadron of horse is allowed 30 for its camp, and 30 for an interval, and more if the ground will allow it.

Where the grounds are equally dry, those camps are always the most healthful that are pitched on the banks of large rivers; because, in the hot season, situations of this kind have a stream of fresh air from the water, serving to carry off the moist and putrid exhalations. On the other hand, next to marshes, the worst encampments are on low grounds close beset with trees; for then the air is not only moist and hurtful in itself, but by stagnating becomes more susceptible of corruption. However, let the situation of camps be ever so good, they are frequently rendered infectious by the putrid effluvia of rotten straw, and the privies of the army; more especially if the bloody flux prevails, in which case the best method of preventing a general infection, is to leave the ground with the privies, foul straw, and other filth of the camp, behind. This must be frequently done, if consistent with the military operations; but when these render it improper to change the ground often, the privies should be made deeper than usual, and once a day a thick layer of earth thrown into them till the pits are near full; and then they are to be well covered, and supplied by others. It may also be a proper caution to order the pits to be made either in the front or the rear, as the then stationary winds may beat carry off their effluvia from the camp. Moreover, it will be necessary to change the straw frequently, as being not only apt to rot, but to retain the infectious steams of the sick. But if fresh straw cannot be procured, more care must be taken in airing the tents, as well as the old straw.

The disposition of the Hebrew encampment was at first laid out by God himself. Their camp was of a quadrangular form, surrounded with an inclosure of the height of 10 hands-breadth. It made a square of 12 miles in compass about the tabernacle; and within this was another, called the Levites camp.

The Greeks had also their camps, fortified with gates and ditches. The Lacedemonians made their camp of a round figure, looking upon that as the most perfect and defensible of any form: we are not, however, to imagine, that they thought this form so essential to a camp, as never to be dispensed with when the circumstances of the place require it. Of the rest of the Grecian camps, it may be observed, that the most valiant of the soldiers were placed at the extremities, the rest in the middle. Thus we learn from Homer, that Achilles and Ajax were posted at the ends of the camp before Troy, as bulwarks on each side of the rest of the princes.

The figure of the Roman camp was a square divided into two principal parts: in the upper parts were the general's pavilion, or praetorium, and the tent of the chief officers; in the lower, those of inferior degree were placed. On one side of the praetorium stood the quaestorium, or apartment of the treasurer of the army; and near this the forum, both for a market-place and the assembling of councils. On the other side of the praetorium were lodged the legati; and below it the tribunes had their quarters, opposite to their respective legions. Aside of the tribunes were the praefecti of the foreign troops, over against their respective wings; and behind these were the lodgments of the evocati, then those of the extraordinarii; and ablesti equites, which concluded the higher part of the camp. Between the two partitions was a spot of ground called principia, for the altars and images of the gods, and probably also for the chief ensigns. The middle of the lower partition was assigned to the Roman horse; next to them were quartered the triarii; then the principes, and close by them the hastati; afterwards the foreign horse, and lastly the foreign foot. They fortified their camp with a ditch and parapet, which they termed fossa and wallum; in the latter some distinguishing two parts, viz. the agger or earth, and the fossa or wooden stakes driven in to secure it. The camps were sometimes surrounded by walls made of hewn stone; and the tents themselves formed of the same matter.

In the front of the Turkish camp are quartered the janizaries and other foot, whose tents encompass their aga; in the rear are the quarters of the spahis and other horsemen. The body of the camp is possessed by the flatly tents or pavilions of the vizier or general, rais effendi or chancellor, kahija or steward, the telterdar bashaw or lord treasurer, and kapilar kahiafee or matter master of the ceremonies. In the middle of these tents is a spacious field, wherein are erected a building for the divan, and a hafna or treasury. When the ground is marked out for a camp, all wait for the pitching of the tent laiaca, the place where the courts of justice are held; it being the disposition of this that is to regulate all the rest.

The Arabs still live in camps, as the ancient Scenites did. The camp of the Asyne Emir, or king of the country about Tadmor, is described by a traveller who viewed it, as spread over a very large plain, and professing to vast a space, that though he had the advantage of a rising ground, he could not see the utmost extent of it. His own tent was near the middle; scarce distinguishable from the rest, except that it was bigger, being made, like the others, of a sort of hair-cloth.

Camp, is also used by the Siamese, and some other nations in the East Indies, as the name of the quarters which they assign to foreigners who come to trade with them. In these camps, every nation forms, as it were, a particular town, where they carry on all their trade, not only keeping all their warehouses and shops there, but also live in these camps with their whole families. The Europeans, however, are so far indulged, that at Siam, and almost everywhere else, they may live either in the cities or suburbs, as they shall judge most convenient.

Camp fight, or Kamp fight, in law writers, denotes the trial of a cause by duel, or a legal combat of two champions in the field, for decision of some controversy.

In the trial by camp fight, the accuser was, with the peril of his own body, to prove the accused guilty; and by offering him his glove, to challenge him to this trial, which the other must either accept of, or acknowledge himself guilty of the crime whereof he was accused.

If it were a crime deserving death, the camp fight was for life and death: if the offence deserved only imprisonment, the camp fight was accomplished when one combatant had subdued the other, so as either to make him yield or take him prisoner. The accused had liberty to choose another to fight in his stead, but the accuser was obliged to perform it in his own person, and with equality of weapons. No women were permitted to be spectators, nor men under the age of thirteen. The priest and the people who looked on, were engaged silently in prayer, that the victory might fall to him who had right. None might cry, shriek, or give the least sign; which in some places was executed with so much strictness, that the executioner stood ready with an axe to cut off the right hand or foot of the party that should offend herein.

He that, being wounded, yielded himself, was at the other's mercy either to be killed or suffered to live. But if life were granted him, he was declared infamous by the judge, and disallowed from ever bearing arms, or riding on horseback.