Halberd steadily decreased. The halberd all but disappeared as a rank-and-file weapon in these formations by the middle of the sixteenth century, though Hakluyt's 'Voyages' relate the death of a halberdier named Zachary Saxy (probably a German) in fighting on the coast of Ecuador during Cavendish's circumnavigation in 1587. The halberd has been used as a court bodyguard weapon for centuries, and is still the ceremonial weapon of the Swiss Guard in the Vatican and the "Alabarderos" (Halberdiers) Company of the Spanish Royal Guard. The halberd was one of the polearms sometimes carried by lower-ranking officers in European infantry units in
Bill of quantities As the rates for materials and labour change due to inflation, these books are frequently republished.. The practice historically of estimating building costs in this way arose from non-contractual measurements, taken off drawings to assist tenderers in quoting lump sum prices. There are different styles of bills of quantities, mainly the Elemental BOQ and Trade Bills. A Contingency sum is an item found within a Bill of quantities (BoQ). The item refers to unforeseeable cost likely to be incurred during the contract. There are two types of contingency sum. The first refers to a specific item, e.g., 'additional alterations to