ROC
492
ROT)
He preferred the latter, and arrived in the East Indies in 1750, ;but fell a sacrifice to the climate in 1751.
ROBINSONIA, a genus of the icosandria monogynia class andorder. Calyx five-toothed; petals five; berry striated, two-celled ; cells one-seeded ; seeds villose. There is one species, atree of Guiana.
ROBORANTS, in pharmacy, a term applied to those medi-cines which strengthen the parts, and give new vigour to the con-stitution.
ROCA ISLANDS, a cluster of islands, lying off the N. coastof Venezuela , in Terra Firma: about 120 miles N. W. by W. ofTortugas.
Roca Partido, an island in the N. Pacific Ocean ; S. E. ofMesa, and West of Nublada. Lon. 128. 0. W. Lat. 16.35. N.
ROCCA D’ANFO, a strong town of Italy , in the departmentofthe Meila, district and late territory of Brescia : 25 miles S. E. ofTrent.
ROCHDALE, a town of England, in Lancashire , 55 miles W.S. W. of York, and 195 N. N. W. of London .
ROCHE, an ancient town of France , in the department ofForets, and late duchy of Luxemburg , 22 miles S. of Liege, and32 N. W. of Luxemburg .
Roche Chouart, a town of France in the department of theUpper Vienne, and late province of Limousin ; 60 miles S. by E.of Poitiers . Lon. 0. 53. E. Lat. 45. 46. N.
Roche Macheran, a town of the French empire, in the de-partment of Forets, and late duchy of Luxemburg , 15 miles N.£. of Luxemburg . Lon. 6. 25. E. Lat. 49. 46. N.
Roche Posay, a town of France , in the department of Indreand Loire, and late province of Touraine . Lon. 1. 2. E. Lat.46. 45. N.
Roche surYonne, a town of France in the department of theVendee , and late province of Poictou ; 20 miles N. W. of Lu-con. Lon. 1. 31. W. Lat. 46. 40. N.
ROCHEFORD, a town of England, in Essex ; 16 miles S.W. of Chelmsford, and 40 E, by N. of London . Lon. 0. 41. E.Lat. 51. 36. N.
ROCHEFORT, a handsome and considerable town of France ,in the department of the Lower Charente, and late territory ofAunis. Lon. 0. 54. W. Lat. 46. 3. N.
Rochefort, a town of France , in the department of Forets,and late province of Luxemburg ; 50 miles N. W. of Luxemburg .Lon. 5. 10. E. Lat. 50. 12.-N.
ROCHELLE, a celebrated city of France , in the departmentof Lower Charente, late capital of the territory of Aunis, witha very commodious and safe harbour. Lon. 1. 11. W. Lat- 46.10. N.
ROCHESTER, a city of England, in Kent , on the Medway.It was a Roman station, and Roman coins have been found aboutit. It is 27 miles N. W. by W. of Canterbury , and 30 S. E. byE. of London . Lon. 0. 36. E. Lat. 51.23. N.
ROCHFORT1A, a genus of the class and other pentandriadigynia. Calyx five-parted; corolla one-petaled, funnel-form,inferior ; fruit two-celled, many-seeded. r l here are two species,shrubs of Jamaica .
ROCK, a stony mass, forming a portion of the substance ofthis globe. Rocks are in general disposed in mountanic ranges ;but in some few instances are found existing in immensely largeseparate masses. The obvious differences existing in tire appear-ances and composition of different rocks ana mountains have longinduced mineralogists to consider them as formed at very distantperiods from eacli other, arid even to suppose, that those of thelatter formation frequently derived the materials of which theywere composed, from the disintegration of the previously existing,and much more ancient, rocks. Hence arose their division intofive classes . namely, 1. Primitive rocks; 2. Rocks of transition ;o. Stratified, or secondary rocks ; 4. Alluvial depositions; 5. Vol-canic rocks. See Geology.
RocK-Ort. See Petroleum.
ROCKET, in pyrolechny, an artifi -ial fire-work, consisting ofa cylindrical case of paper, filled with a composition of certaincombustible ingredients ; which, being tied to a stick, mounts intothe air, to a considerable height, and there bursts.
ROCKINGHAM, a town of England, in Northamptonshire ,Lon. 0. 48. W. Lat. 52. 32. N.
Rockingham, a county of New Hampshire , on the S. E. partof the state ; bounded on the S. E. by the Atlantic. Portsmouth ,Exeter , and Concord, are the chief towns.
Rockingham, a county of North Carolina , in Salisbury dis-trict.
Rockingham, a town of N. Carolina, capital of Richmondcounty, 40 miles from Bathnia.
ROCO GRANDE, an island on the coast of the SpanishMain , in the W. Indies. Lon. 67. 59. W. Lat. 11. 5. N.
ROCROY, a town of France, in the department of the Ar-dennes, and late province of Champagne, 16 miles N. of Rethel .Lon. 4. 27. E. Lat. 49. 56. N.
ROD, a land-measure of 16 feet and a half; the same withpercli and pole.
ROD, for fishing, a long taper rod or wand, to which the line isfastened for angling.
RODESTO, RODOSTO, or RUDISTO, a town of Euro-pean Turkey, in Romania, 62 miles S. W. of Constantinople .Lon. 27. 37. E. Lat. 41. 1. N.
RODNEY, George Bridges, Lord Rodney, was born in1718. His father was a naval officer; commanding, at the timeof his son’s birth, the yacht in which the king, attended by theDuke of Chandos, was passing to or from Hanover, he asked andobtained leave to call his infant son George Bridges. The royaland noble godfathers advised Captain Rodney to educate his boytor his own profession, promising to promote him as rapidly as themerit he should display, and the regulations of the navy, wouldpermit. Of young Rodney’s early exertions in the service of hiscountry, nothing, however, is known till 1751, when we find him,in the rank of a Commodore, sent out to make accurate disco-veries respecting an island, which was supposed to He about 50 9 'N. Lat. and about 300 leagues W. of England : but he returnedwithout havingseen any such island. In the war which soon fol-lowed this voyage of discovery, he was promoted to the rank of arear-admiral, and was employed to bombard Havre de Grace;which in 1759 and 1760 he considerably damaged, together withsome shipping. In 1761 he was sent on an expedition againstMartinico, which was reduced in the beginning of 1762, andabout the same time St. Lucia surrendered to captain Harvey.Both were restored at the peace of 1763. In reward for his ser-vices, he was created a K. B. His first exploit was in January1780, when he took 19 Spanish transports bound to Cadiz from'Bilboa , with a 64 cun ship and five frigates. On the 16th Jan.he fell in with the Spanish fleet, consisting of 11 sail of the line,tinder Don John de Langara ; of which one was blown up duringthe engagement, five were taken, and carried into Gibraltar ,among which was the admiral’s ship, and the rest were much shat-tered. In April 1780, lie fell in with the French fleet, under Ad-miral Guichen, at Martinico, whom he obliged to light, and com-pletely beat; though from the shattered state of his own lleet, andthe unwillingness of the enemy to risk another action, lie tooknone of their ships. His successful efforts during 17S0 were ge-'ncrally applauded. He received the thanks of boll) Houses ofParliament , and addresses of thanks from various parts of GreatBritain, and the islands to which his victories were more particu-larly serviceable. In 1781, he continued his exertions with muchsuccess, in defending the West India islands; and, along withGeneral Vaughan, he conquered St. Eustalius; on which occasionhis conduct lo the inhabitants has been much censured ; but withwhat justice we will not decide. The island was certainly a nestof contraband traders. On the 12th April 1782, he came to aclose action witli the French licet under Count de Grasse; duringwhich he sunk one ship, and took live, of winch the admiral’s ship,the Villfc de Paris, was one. Peace was made in 1782 ; hut, as areward for his numerous services, he had a grant of 2000/. a yearfor himself and his two successors. He had long before beencreated a baronet, was rear-admiral of Great Britain, and at lengthwas justly promoted to the peerage, by the title of Baron Rodneyof Stoke, Somersetshire , and made vice-admiral of Great Britain-He was once also governor of Greenwich Hospital. Lord Rod"ney had been twice married ; first to the sister of the Earl ofNorthampton, and 2dly, to the daughter of John Clies, Esq. "'Uhwhom he did not reside for several years before bis death, widen
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