BOUNTY is a sum of money given to encourage men to enter the army or navy. In time of peace, when there is little or no need to augment the forces. the B. sinks to a minimum; but in cases of exigency, it is raised according to the difficulty and urgency of the circumstances. In the army, no B. was paid to recruits until about half a century ago; the temptations offered to them, if any, were of some other character. The highest B. ever paid during the great wars against Napoleon was in 1812, when it amounted to £18, 12*. 6d. for limited service, and £23, 17s. 6d. for life; but these sums were in great part nominal, being subject to many unfair and absurd deductions. Even so late as 1849, when the B. to an infantry recruit was nominally L4, he received little more than one eighth of this amount, all the rest being swallowed up in fees and draw backs of various kinds. The only B. which now exists is a free kit—no other being allowed. The young men who used to enter the British army were supposed, for the most part, to have been tempted by immediate B. rather than by prospective pays and
pensions; and thus it arose that the rate of B. varied frequently, while those of pay and pensions underwent very little change. In 1835, it was XI per head (for line infantry); in 1856, only in 1858, £3; and it afterwards underwent further changes. It was always higher to the cavalry and artillery than to the infantry; and in the latter it was higher to the Highland than to the other regiments, on account of matters connected with dress and personal ornaments. The relation which the B. bore to the other emoluments of the soldier are explained under ENLISTMENT, REcrturraso. In reference to seamen, the subject will receive elucidation under MANNINO THE NAVY.—The term B. is also used in the navy to signify the payment and distribution of money to which the officers and crew of her majesty's ships and vessels of war may, on particular occasions of active service, be entitled. See PRIZE, SALVAGE, BOOTY.