ROB ROY 



503S 



ROCHAMBEAU 



dence, that Roblin knew about the graft and 

 was even personally interested in it. The pub- 

 lic scandal caused by the disclosures, which 

 affected construction of the Parliament Build- 

 ings at Winnipeg, compelled Roblin's resigna- 

 tion from the premiership and subsequently led 

 to his criminal prosecution. 



Roblin was born at Sophiasburg, Prince Ed- 

 ward County, Ontario, and was graduated from 

 Albert College, at Belleville. As a young man 

 "i twenty-seven, he removed from Ontario to 

 Manitoba, where he became a farmer and 

 grain merchant. He then took an active part 

 in local politics, was reeve for five years and 

 warden for two years of Dufferin, and in 1888 

 was elected as Conservative member of the 

 Manitoba assembly. He became premier in 

 1900, succeeding Sir Hugh Macdonald. During 

 his premiership of fifteen years, Manitoba made 

 conspicuous industrial progress, due in a con- 

 siderable degree to the policies of the Roblin 

 government. Roblin was recognized as a strong 

 advocate of Canadian industry, and opposed 

 the Taft-Fielding reciprocity agreement of 1911. 

 He was created a Knight Commander of the 

 Order of Saint Michael and Saint George (K. C. 

 M.G.) in 1912. 



ROB ROY (1671-1734), a famous Scottish out- 

 law whose adventurous career is known to 

 every reader of Scott's novel, Rob Roy. His 

 exploits are also the theme of a popular light 

 opera by Flotow. Rob Roy is sometimes called 

 the "Robin Hood of Scotland," for both names 

 have romantic and legendary associations (see 

 ROBIN HOOD). This Scottish outlaw was the 

 son of Donald Macgregor of Glengyle. His 

 mother was a Campbell, and he was given the 

 Christian name of Robert. " When the Mac- 

 gregor clan of Glengyle was outlawed the youth 

 took his mother's family name, but he was 

 always popularly known as Rob Roy. Roy, 

 the Gaelic word for red, was applied to him 

 because he had reddish hair and a florid com- 

 plexion. He had a powerful physique, though 

 he was not much above the average in height, 

 and was widely known for his great strength 

 and his skill in the use of the sword. 



Having inherited land in the Highlands, Rob 

 Roy began to raise cattle for the English mar- 

 kets, but he soon found it necessary to gather 

 about him a band of armed clansmen to pro- 

 tect his herds from marauding outlaws. His 

 own career of outlawry was the result of unwise 

 speculations, for he was compelled to borrow 

 money from his neighbor, the Duke of Mont- 

 rose, and when the loan was not repaid the 



duke evicted him from his property and placed 

 him under the ban. In desperation, Rob Roy 

 organized a band of followers against the duke 

 and his tenants, stealing both their cattle and 

 their rent money. For a long time he evaded 

 all attempts to capture him, but in 1722 gave 

 himself up to the English authorities. He was 

 imprisoned and sentenced to be transported 

 (1727), but was pardoned and permitted to re- 

 turn to Scotland. There he spent the rest of 

 his life. 



Consult Macleay's Historical Memoirs of Rob 

 Roy and introductory chapter of Scott's novel. 



ROB 'SON, MOUNT, the highest mountain in 

 British Columbia. It belongs to that range of 

 the Canadian Rockies which culminates in the 

 region of the Athabaska and the North Sas- 

 katchewan rivers. It is 13,068 feet in altitude, 

 and is situated not far from the boundary be- 

 tween British Columbia and Alberta (see map 

 on page 934). 



ROC, rok, a huge bird of Arabian mythology, 

 believed to have dwelt in the vicinity of Mada- 

 gascar. Sindbad the Sailor, in The Arabian 

 Nights' Entertainments, came upon a roc's egg 

 that was fifty paces round. When the roc ap- 

 peared, her wings darkened the sun. Sindbad 

 tied himself to one of her legs as she sat over 

 the egg, and was carried away. There is, need- 

 less to say, no foundation in fact for these 

 stories. 



ROCHAMBEAU, roshahNbo', JEAN BAP- 

 TISTE DONATIEN DE ViMEUR, Count de (1725- 

 1807), a French soldier who did valiant service 

 under Washington in the Revolutionary War in 

 America. Born at Vendome, France, he was 

 educated for the 

 Church, but 

 adopted the mili- 

 tary profession 

 instead, entering 

 the army in 1742. 

 In the War of the 

 Austrian Succes- 

 sion he distin- 

 guished himself, 

 and was ap- 

 pointed governor 

 o f Vendome i n 

 succession to his 

 father. The Minorca Expedition in 1756 gave 

 him further opportunities to gain distinction; 

 the Seven Years' War in Germany also added 

 to his reputation, and in 1780, with rank of 

 lieutenant-general, he was sent at the head of 

 6,000 French troops to assist Washington 



COUNT ROCHAMBEAU 



