Salute

Salute is a compliment paid in the Navy and Army when a royal or other distinguished personage presents himself, when squadrons or armed bodies meet, when officers are buried, and on many other ceremonial occasions. There are several modes of saluting: firing great guns and small arms, dipping colours, flags, and topsails, presenting arms, manning yards, bugle sounds, &c. A royal salute consists in the firing of twenty-one great guns, in the lowering by officers of their sword-points, and the dipping of the colours. A form of salute of more frequent occurrence is when a soldier 'presents arms' or touches his cap to an officer.