Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 5.djvu/275

Rh French cavalry, and there was not time to reorganize it before it was necessary again to take the field. Hence some of Napoleon s most decided successes in 1813 proved fruitless; as he himself remarked, had he possessed cavalry at the battles of Liitzen and Bautzen the war would then have been brought to an end. It would here appear worthy of remark that defensive armour for cavalry, which had fallen into disuse, was re-introduced by Napoleon. He increased the French cuirassiers from one regiment to twelve, and they performed excellent service ever after wards. Similarly in Napoleon s time the lance began to be again used in Europe; in 1807 it was found that a Polish regiment of lancers was so useful that twelve lancer regiments were afterwards formed, and a certain proportion of this arm has ever since been maintained in all European armies. Any remarks, however, on cavalry in the time of Napoleon would be incomplete were no reference made to the Cossacks, who so much contributed to render the retreats from Russia and after Leipsic peculiarly disastrous to the French. These irregular horsemen, mounted on small horses and armed with lances, hung on the flanks and rear of the retreating enemy, and, although seldom standing to meet an attack, appeared to be ubiquitous, alike affording a screen for their own army and obtaining tits fullest information regarding the movements of that opposed to them. In the forty years peace cavalry deteriorated like every thing else connected with military science. In the Crimea, as the entire war may be said to have consisted of one siege, there was but little occasion for the use of cavalry, and the few opportunities afforded were certainly not turned to the best account. In the 1859 campaign between the French and Italians on the one side and the Austrians on the other, the nature of the country was unsuited to the action of cavalry, and except in some isolated instances, as on the field of Soiferino, cavalry played a very unimportant part in the war. For many years the value of cavalry was only exemplified on the plains of India, where both the British and the native horsemen performed many deeds of valour and did excellent service. In I860 there occurred the first great European war since Waterloo in which cavalry could be turned to full account. From long disuse and want of practice neither Austrians nor Prussians made sufficient use of the large force of horsemen which was at their disposal, and neither on the field of battle nor off it did they achieve any great distinction, although, un doubtedly, of the two the Austrians carried off the palm. They performed reconnoitring duties far more efficiently than their antagonists, and the manner in which they covered the retreat of their army after Koniggratz was a model of devotion and bravery. Four years later the experience gained by the Prussians in 1866 on the plains of Bohemia was in the fullest degree utilized, whereas their opponents the French only showed how splendid material may be sacrificed and how brilliant courage may be thrown away. Incessant practice during the fuur preceding years of peace had rendered the Prussian cavalry most proficient in all the duties of reconnoitring and outposts. The information they obtained and the manner in which they concealed the movements of the army in their rear mainly contributed to enable the leaders of the German army to carry out successfully their strategic plans, and their prowess on the field of battle when turned to account as at Mars-la-Tour was exerted to the best effect. The French cavalry, on the other hand, were remarkable more for bravery than efficiency. In place of being scattered in small parties some days in advance of an army they marched in masses frequently in its rear. Off the field of battle they were of no service, and on it they were needlessly sacrificed through the incapacity of their leaders. History has few examples of bravery more devoted than that of the French cavalry at the battles of &quot;Worth and Sedan, and none in which bravery was more entirely thrown away. After the fall of the empire it may be said that the French cavalry ceased to exist, and as it is an arm that cannot be improvised the republic had no time to replace what had been destroyed. On the whole it cannot be said that the last two European wars have added much to the art of handling cavalry. The practice of spreading light troops two days march in advance of an army was not new, although of late years it had fallen into disuse, and as regards the employ ment of mounted troops on the battle-field, it is still an unsettled question whether the recent improvements in firearms have or have not rendered it impossible for them ever to turn the tide of victory. For the organization, equipment, and strength of the cavalry of the various armies of the present day see,.  CAVAN, an inland county in the province of Ulster, in Ireland, situated between 53 43 and 54 7 N. lat., and 6 45 and 7 47 W. long, is bounded N. by Fermanagh and Monaghan, E. by Mouaghan and Meath, S- by Meath, Westmeath, and Longford, and W. by Longford and Leitrim. It has an area of 746 square miles, or 477,394 acres. The surface of the country is uneven, consisting of hill and dale, without any great extent of level ground, but only in its northern extremity attaining a mountainous elevation. The barony of Tullyhaw, bordering on Fer managh, a wild dreary mountain district, known as the kingdom of Glan or Glengavlin, contains the highest land in the county, called Slieve Russell. In the same barony is Quilca Mountain, the place of inauguration for the Macquires, chieftains of Fermanagh, held in veneration by the peasantry, in connection with legends and ancient superstitions. The remainder of the county is not deficient in wood, and contains numerous lakes, generally of small dimensions, but of much interest for their picturesque beauty, more especially Lough Oughter, which lies between the towns of Cavan and Killashandra. The chief river in the county is the Erne, which originates in the Lake of Scrabby, one of the minor sheets of water communicating with Lough Gowna on the borders of Longford. The river takes a northerly direction by Killeshandra and Belturbet, being enlarged during its course by the Annalee and other smaller streams, and finally enters Lough Erne near the northern limit of the county. The other waters, consisting of numerous lakes and their connecting streams, are mostly tributary to the Erne. A copious spring called the Shannon Pot, at the foot of the Cuilagh Mountain, in the barony of Tullyhaw, is regarded as the source of the River Shannon. The Blackwater, a tributary of the Boyne, also rises in this county, near Bailieborough. Branch lines of the Midland, Great Western, and Great Northern railways traverse the county. The climate is not very genial owing to the dampness arising from its numerous lakes and the nature of the soil, and to the boisterous winds which frequently prevail, more especially in the higher districts. The south-eastern portion of Cavan rests upon clay-slate, and the remainder of the county upon the Carboniferous limestone formation. A rich iron ore was formerly raised from Quilca Mountain. Indications of lead, silver, and sulphur have been observed ; and fullers earth, pipe-clay, potters clay, and brick clay are frequently met with in Tullyhaw barony, in which there are also indications of coal. Several mineral springs exist in this county, the chief of which is near the once-frequented village of Swanlinbar. In the neighbourhood of Belturbet, near the 