e-sided, and is, as it has no edge, exclusively used for
pointing.

For _details_ of historical research, and other particulars, the reader
is referred to Mr. Egerton Castle's work on the sword.

THE MODERN CUT-AND-THRUST SWORD.

The word "Broad-sword" may be taken to include all kinds of
cut-and-thrust swords. It is the generic term for ship's cutlass,
infantry sword, and heavy cavalry sabre, which are all cutting weapons,
and, though varying in length and curvature of blade, can be used for
pointing.

[Illustration: Fig. 14.--Grip for the light cutlass.]

The method of holding the broad-sword depends entirely upon the weight
and length of the blade. If you have a light cutlass weighing, say,
about one and a half pound, and measuring about thirty-four inches in
the blade, you may hold it in the same way as in single-stick play, viz.
with the thumb on the back of the hilt, as in the sketch, and you will
probably find that in this way the guards are made with greater
facility. At the same time, when guarding, say, with the hanging guard
(_see_ Fig. 15), the thumb is liable to a severe sprain; and this is
more particularly the case when the opposing blade meets the foible, or
half nearest the point of your blade, at right angles, or nearly so.

To be more explicit. If A B C, in Fig. 16, represent your blade lying
flat on the paper, _d o_ the intersection of a plane at right angles to
the plane of the paper and also at right angles to the tangent to the
curve at the point _o_, where we will suppose the edges of the blades to
meet, it will be seen at a glance that the leverage from _o_ to C is
considerable, and that a great strain is thrown upon the thumb which is
endeavouring to keep the guard in position.

[Illustration: Fig. 15--Low hanging guard.]

In this case the cut has been received on the "foible," or half of the
blade nearest the point. All guards should, if possible, be made with
the "forte," or half nearest the hilt.

It is important to bear in mind that the cut should be received with the
guard as much as possible on the slant; _i.e._ you should endeavour to
make the opponent's blade glance off yours at an angle such as _d' o_.
The difficulty of bringing about this "glance off" is certainly
increased by having the thumb on the hilt, because your hanging
guard--which is perhaps the most important and constantly recurring of
all the guards--is apt to be higher, _so far as the point is concerne