Ponton

or Pontoon, in war, denotes a little floating bridge made of boats and planks. The ponton is a machine consisting of two ve els, at a little distance, joined by beaus, with planks laid acro for the pa age of the cavalry, the cannon, infantry, , over a river, or an arm of the sea, . The late-invented ponton is of copper, furnished with an anchor, . to fix toit. To make a bridge, several of these are disposed two yards asunder, with beans acro them; and over those are put boards or planks. ‘They are also linked to each other, and fastened on each side the river by a rope run through a ring in each of their» heads, and fixed toa tree or stake on either shore; the whole makes one firm uniform bridge, over which a train of artillery may pa . PAL.