Show - in Salute Has Origin in Mystical Mystlcal Significance Slgmficance OrigmaUy Orlgmally Originally warships flred fired a salute saluteof saluteof saluteof the number seven sevenbeing sevenbeing sevenbeing of seven guns selected because of Its mys rays mystical raystical mystical being AI AIthough Aithough from antiquity Although tical tiemflcance significance slgn icance though the salute at sea was sevenguns sevenguns seven sevento shore batteries were anowed allowed anowedto allowedto guns one oneThe oneThe oneThe * to the ship s II to fire re three guns gun The reason tor for this was that sodIUm sodIUmmtrate sodiumnitrate sodiumnitrate mtrate nitrate was largely used in the manufacture manufacture man mancture of powder ThIs TM-- TM TMPlier - was " easIly easfly eas - ufacture cture . spoiled at sea but could be very veryreadily veryon Ily fly d . . The multi multipUer multiplierrlth land readily kept kepts on threekept selected probably Plier pUer plierrlth three was s selected because of Its symbolism With the thedevelopment thedevelopment thedevelopment development of the manufacture of ofpowder ofpowder powder owder the number of guns for the theinternational theinternational theInternational international naval salute was made madeto madeto madeto to correspond wlA wloll wadi that of the land landforces landforces landforces forces On August IS 18 1275 1875 a reso resolutlon resolution resolution lutlon lution adopted by the United States StatesprovIded Statesprovided Statesprovided provIded that salutes be returned returnedgun returnedgun returnedgun gun tor for gun At this time the Brit BritIsh British British Ish calute salute was already 21 guns gunstherefore gunstherefore gunstherefore therefore this number nurDber was wa * accept accept- accepted accepted accepted - ' - ed by the United Uwted States |