RAFN 



RAGLAN 



551 



of the bark of the root, and, after the bark has 

 broken, rising up in the form of a head of cabbage, 

 whilst the perianth is covered with imbricated 

 bractese, which are more or less recurved after it has 

 opened. The perianth is thick, fleshy, and 5-partite. 

 The ovule is inferior, and contains many ovules; 

 and the anthers, which are numerous, are seated 

 under the revolute margin of the top of the style 

 column. After the flower has expanded it diffuses 

 a, carrion-like smell, that even attracts flies, and 

 induces them to deposit their eggs. The largest and 

 first-discovered species, B. arnoldi, was discovered 

 in 1818 in Sumatra by Dr Arnold, and was sent 

 to the eminent botanist, Robert Brown, by Sir 

 Thomas Stamford Raffles (q.v.). Its flower 

 measures fully 3 feet in diameter, is capable of 

 containing almost 2 gallons of fluid, sometimes 

 weighs 10 pounds, and is the largest of all known 

 flowers. A smaller species, B. patina, whose flowers 

 are 16 inches to 2 feet in diameter, is highly 

 prized by the Javanese as a medicine, for its strong 

 styptic powers. R. horsfieldii, another Javanese 

 species, is still smaller, its flowers being only 3 

 inches broad. 



Kafn, KARL CHRISTIAN, critic and archaeologist, 

 was born at Braliesborg in Fiinen, 16th January 

 1796, and educated at the university of Copenhagen, 

 of which he was appointed sub-librarian in 1821. 

 It is to Rafn's unwearied exertions that Denmark 

 owes the foundation (1825) of the 'Society for 

 Northern Antiquities.' As secretary of this society 

 he edited and published a great many ancient 

 Scandinavian MSS., occupying about seventy 

 volumes. He was named professor in 1826, and 

 died at Copenhagen 20th October 1864. Among 

 his numerous important works we may mention a 

 Danish translation of Norse Mythic and Romantic 

 Sagas (1821-26), and his Antiquitates Americana; 

 ( 1837 ), in which lie shows that America was dis- 

 covered by Norsemen in the 10th century (see 

 VlNLAND). 



Ragatz, a spa of Switzerland, in the south-east 

 corner of the canton of St Gall, by rail 68 miles SE. 

 of Zurich and 13 N. by W. of Chur (Coire); it 

 stands at the mouth of the ravine leading to Pfiift'ers 

 (q.v.), from which town it gets its healing waters 

 by means of a pipe (1838-40) '2\ miles long. 

 Schelling, the German philosopher, is buried in 

 the parish churchyard. Pop. 1996. 



Ragged Schools. The Ragged School, as 

 distinct from the Certified Industrial 'School, is a 

 voluntary agency providing education for destitute 

 children, and so preventing them from falling into 

 vagrancy and crime. Vagrant children, and those 

 guilty of slight offences, are provided for in the 

 Certified Industrial School ; but the two institu- 

 tions are frequently combined. The movement 

 which established ragged schools was almost simul- 

 taneous with that which instituted reformatories, 

 .(ohn Pounds, a poor shoemaker at Portsmouth, 

 has the honour of originating the idea. For twenty 

 years, up to the time of liis death in 1839, he 

 gathered the ragged children of the district round 

 dim as he sat at work. They came freely, and 

 were taught gratuitously. The success attending 

 his humble efforts soon led many more influential 

 friends of the ' outcasts ' to engage in the same work. 

 In 1838 London had a Ragged Sunday School, 

 which eventually became a free day-school. Field 

 Lane followed in 1843. But the first ragged feeding- 

 school was opened in 1841 by Sheriff Watson, 

 in Aberdeen. In 1845 the Rev. Dr Robertson, 

 not then aware of the existence of Sheriff Watson's, 

 opened a similar school in the Verinel, Edinburgh. 

 Soon afterwards Dr Guthrie's famous Plea for 

 Ragged Schools appeared, a work which gave an 

 irresistible impetus to the movement, and caused 



the author to be generally regarded as the father of 

 ragged schools. A ragged school was founded at the 

 Castle Hill in 1847 ( since 1887 at Liberton ). After 

 this ragged schools spread over all the land, until 

 there was scarcely a town of any importance that 

 had not one or more. The Education Acts Eng- 

 land, 1870, and Scotland, 1872 introduced the prin- 

 ciple of compulsory attendance at school ; under 

 this provision, a large number especially in Eng- 

 land of such as were merely free day-schools 

 became public schools. But, as the Education Acts 

 make no provision for feeding the children, the 

 managers of feeding-schools find themselves com- 

 pelled to continue their efforts. In places where 

 the system has been efficiently conducted juvenile 

 crime has sensibly diminished. The ragged schools 

 do not receive government aid. The capitation 

 grant of 2, 10s., allowed by a Privy-council 

 minute in 1856, was withdrawn in 1859. 



isa* a great Sanskrit epic, attributed 

 to KaTidasa (q. v. ). The subject is similar to that 

 of the Ramayana, but begins with an account of 

 Kama's ancestors, ' the family of Raghu,' an ancient 

 king of Ayodhya (Oudli). The text, with a Latin 

 translation, was published by Stenzler ( Loud. 1832). 



Raglan, LORD. Fitzroy James Henry Somer- 

 set, eighth son of the fifth Duke of Beaufort, was 

 born September 30, 1788. He entered the army 

 in his sixteenth year, and in 1807 served on the 

 staff of the Duke of Wellington in the expedition 

 to Copenhagen. He went to the Peninsula as 

 aide-de-camp to the duke, and in 1812 became his 

 military secretary. As Lord Fitzroy Somerset his 

 name became a household word. He was present 

 at all the great actions of the Peninsular campaign, 

 being among the first to mount the breach at the 

 storming of Badajoz ; and it was to him that the 

 governor gave up his sword. On the return of 

 Napoleon from Elba he served under the duke 

 in Flanders, and lost his sword-arm in the crowning 

 victory of Waterloo ; and the very next day he 

 was seen practising writing with his left hand. 

 For his brilliant military services he was made 

 K.C.B., and received orders from several foreign 

 potentates. He was minister-plenipotentiary at 

 Paris in 1815, and secretary to the French embassy 

 from 1816 to 1819. The duke was appointed in 

 1819 Master of the Ordnance, and Raglan again 

 became his secretary ; and in 1827, when the 

 former became commander-in-chief of the British 

 army, Raglan was called to the Horse Guards 

 as his military secretary. This office he held 

 until the death of his chief in September 1852. 

 He was then made Master-general of the Ordnance, 

 and in October was called to the House of Peers as 

 Baron Raglan of Raglan, in the county of Mon- 

 mouth (q.v.). He had previously sat in the Lower 

 House during the parliaments of 1818 and 1826 for 

 the borough of Truro. While Master-general of the 

 Ordnance he was sent as Commander-in-chief of 

 the English forces to the Crimea in 1854 (see 

 CRIMEAN WAR). The desperate infantry battle 

 of Inkermann obtained for Raglan the baton of 

 field-marshal ; but as the campaign proceeded 

 unfavourable comments began to be made upon 

 his conduct of the war. During the winter of 

 1854-55 his soldiers suffered unspeakable priva- 

 tions, and hundreds perished in camp and on 

 board transports for want of the food, clothing, 

 and medicines which were in store, but could not 

 be found in the confusion and mismanagement 

 that prevailed the fault mainly of the home 

 authorities. The siege continued without much 

 apparent success until June 18, when a general 

 assault was ordered, and when Raglan's troops, 

 as well as the French, received a terrible repulse. 

 Raglan had been suffering from a slight attack of 



