Ml 



KAJMAHAL HILLS. 



RANGOON. 



see 



E. long. It was formerly a large city, and at one time the capital of 

 the province of Bengal, but is now little more than a long street of 

 mud huts, some tombs and dilapidated mosques, and the ruins of a 

 vast palace, which was built by the Sultan Sujah, brother of the 

 emperor Aurengzebe, and completed in 1630. In the following year 

 however a fire destroyed the greater part of the town, and a consider- 

 able portion of the palace ; and not long afterwards a branch of the 

 Ganges changed its course, and carried away nearly all the houses 

 which remained. Rajmahal has ever since continued in a state of 

 decay. The town contains several market-places, and has a consider- 

 able trade with the inhabitants of the mountainous district of the 

 Rajmahal Hills. The population of the town is estimated at nearly 

 SO,! 



RAJMAHAL HILLS, a group of mountains which derive their 

 name from the town of Rajmahal, near which the southern part of 

 them commences : they extend about sixty miles northward along the 

 west bank of the Ganges. They form a detached mass, bounded on 

 all sides by a level country, and rise from the flat surface of Bengal 

 as if out of the sea. They are well wooded, and there is much thick 

 jungle, so that they abound in wild animals of all kinds, from the 

 jackal to the tiger, and from the deer to the elephant and rhinoceros. 



The Rajmahal Hills, and indeed all the hilly country between Raj- 

 mahal and Burdwan, are inhabited by the Puharrees (or mountaineers), 

 who appear to be an aboriginal race, differing from the inhabitants of 

 the plain in features, language, manners, and religion. They are dis- 

 tinguishable from the Hindoos by their long narrow eyes, broadish faces, 

 and Saltish turned-up noses ; in stature they are rather short, but 

 strong and active. They live chiefly by the cbace, in which they use 

 bows and arrows, few of them having fire-arms, and they shoot the 

 larger animals with poisoned arrows. In addition to hides and game 

 they dispose of wax and honey, in which their hills abound, and they 

 cultivate millet in considerable quantity. 



A considerable improvement both in manners and morals took place 

 among these mountain tribes about seventy years ago, chiefly resulting 

 from the equitable administration of Mr. Cleveland, judge of Bogli- 

 pore, who died in 1784 in the 29th year of his age, and whose memory 

 u held in grateful remembrance both by the lowland Zemindars and 

 the mountain Pubarrees. [BocLlPORB,] 



RAJ. \AGHUR. [DACCA.] 



RAJPOOTANA. [Hi.NDUSTAit.] 



RAKHAIN. [ABACAS.] 



IEALKIUH. [CAROLINA, NORTH.] 



RAMBEKT, ST. (Aix; LOIRE] 



UAMBEKVILLER.S. [Vosow.] 



RAMHLA. [CORDOVA.) 



RAMBOUILLET. [SEiSE-ieT-OisE.] 



RAMEKUPT. [Aunt] 



KAMK>KKUM. [HlXDOBTAH.] 



RAMILLIES, orRAMELlES, a small village in Belgium, in the 

 province of South Brabant, 13 mile* N. from Namur, and 26 miles 

 S.E. from BruswU, celebrated for the victory obtained in it* vicinity 

 May 23, 1706, by the allied army under the Duke of Marl borough over 

 the French and Bavarians commanded by Marshal Villeroi and the 

 Elector of Bavaria. 



RAMPUOR. [BUMAHER.] 



RAMKEE. [ABACAS.] 



RAMSBOTTOM. [LAXCASIHRB.] 



RAMSBUKY. [WILTSHIRE.] 



RAMSEY, Huntingdonshire, a market-town in the parish of Ramsey, 

 i< situated on a feeder of the river Neve, in 62 23' N. lat., 0* 6' 

 \V. long., distant 12 miles N.N.K. from Huntingdon, and (59 mile* N. 

 from London. The population of the town of Ramsey in 1851 was 

 2641. The living is a perpetual curacy in the archdeaconry of 

 Huntingdon and iliocc.-e of Ely. 



In the reign of Edgar, in the year 969, Ailwine, duke or earl of the 

 East Augles, founded a Benedictine abbey on an inland or dry spot in 

 the marshes called Ram'* ' ay,' or island ; hence the name of the town. 

 The abbey attained great wealth and repute, and had among its abbots 

 and monks many able and learned men. A school was maintained 

 here almost from the foundation of the abbey, and the library was 

 celebrated for iU collection of Hebrew books. The abbeys of Ramsey 

 were mitred. 



Ramsey consist* chiefly of one long street running eait and west, 

 and another street running northward along the Bury Brook. The 

 church consist* of a nave with clerestory, aisle*, and chancel, with an 

 embattled tower at the west end. Some of the piers and arches of 

 the church are in the transition from the Norman to the early English 

 style. The only remains of the abbey are the ruined gateway, a rich 

 specimen of decorated English architecture, and statue of Karl 

 Ailwine, the founder, supposed to be one of the most ancient pieces 

 of KnglUh sculpture extant. The Baptist* have a chape), and there 

 are National an 1 Infant schools. Wednesday U the market-day; a 

 fair iilield on July 2Jnd. 



IIAMSKY. [MAS, ISLK or.] 



IIAMSKY ISLAND. [P.IIBROKBJHIRB.] 



RAMSGATE, Kent, a market-town, sea-port, and watering-place in 

 the parish of Rampgate, is situated at the south-east corner of the Isle 

 of Tliauet, in 5P 21' N. lat., 1" 24' K. long., distant 17 miles K.X.E. 



, from Canterbury, 73 miles E. by S. from London by road, and 97 

 I miles by the South Eastern railway. The town is governed by com- 

 missioners under a local act. The population of the town of Ramsgate 

 in 1851 was 11,838. The living is a vicarage in the archdeaconry and 

 diocese of Canterbury. 



The ville, as it is legally termed, of Ramsgate, is a member of the 

 j Cinque-Port of Sandwich. Ramsgate was anciently a poor fishing 

 I town, consisting of a few meanly-built houses, with a small wooden 

 pier. After the revolution of 1688 some of the inhabitants embarked 

 i in the Russian trade, by which they acquired wealth, and this led to 

 I the improvement of the town. Ramsgate was one of the places earliest 

 I frequented by the inhabitants of the metropolis for sea-bathing, though 

 for some time eclipsed by the superior attractions of Margate. Early 

 in the present century a stone lighthouse was erected on the head of 

 the west pier; a small battery is fixed at the head of the east pier. 

 The east pier is one of the longest in the kingdom, extending nearly 

 3000 feet ; the western pier extends about half that length : they are 

 built of Portland and Purbeck stone and Cornish granite. The harbour 

 includes an area of 48 acres, and furnishes a convenient shelter for 

 vessels obliged by heavy gales to run from the Downs. A dry dock 

 and a patent slip afford facilities for repairing vessels. 



The old part of Ramsgate is situated in cue of those natural 

 depressions (called in the Isle of Tbanet ' gates,' or ' stairs ') in the 

 chalk which open upon the sea. The newer part, which consists of 

 well-built houses arranged in streets, terraces, and crescents, is well 

 paved and lighted with gas. The chief public buildings are tlio town- 

 hall and the custom-house. There are an assembly-room, several 

 bathing-rooms, and numerous boarding- and lodging-houses for the 

 accommodation of visitors during the summer. The places of worship 

 are the parish church, erected in 1827, a spacious and handsome 

 gothic structure, with a tower 137 feet high ; a chapel of ease ; a 

 district church ; two chapels for Baptists; and one each for Wesleyan 

 and Primitive Methodists, Independents, Roman Catholics, and Jews. 

 There are several National, British, and Infant schools ; a Church 

 Union, with a library ; a savings bank ; a dispensary ; and an hospital 

 especially for seamen, but to which the neighbouring poor are under 

 certain regulations admitted. 



Ramsgate ha* a considerable coasting-trade; coal U largely imparted, 

 and ship-building and rope-making are carried on. Wednesday and 

 Saturday are the market-days. A county court is held in the town. 

 There U a considerable fishery. The number and tonnage of vessels 

 registered a* belonging to the port of Ramsgate on December 31st, 

 1853, were under 50 tons 95, tonnage 2564 ; above 50 tons 37, ton- 

 nage 3485 ; with 1 steam- vessel of 10 tons. The custom-house entries 

 at the port during 1853 present the following result* : Inwards, 619 

 Teasels, tonnage 47,035 ; outwards, 252 vessels, tonnage 16,486. 

 RANDALSTOWN. [ARMAOH.] 

 RANDAZZO. [MESSINA, Province.] 

 BANDERS. [AABHDUS.] 

 RANELAQH. [DUBLIX, County.] 



RANGOON, formerly the most commercial port of the Rinnan 

 empire, i* situated in 16 47' N. lat, 96 18' E. long., on the left bank 

 of the most eastern branch of the river Irawaddy, about twenty-six 

 mile* from the sea. About two miles below the town the river divides 

 into two arms, of which the eastern, running nearly due east, is called 

 Syrian River ; and the western, running nearly due south, Rangoon 

 River. Both of these branches are navigable, but the Rangoon liivcr 

 i* generally preferred. The town and suburbs extend about a mile 

 along the bank of the river, but the houses are very unequally scat- 

 tered over this area. The street* are narrow, but clean and well paved. 

 The house* aro raised on posts ; the smaller supported by bamboos, 

 and the larger by strong timbers. There are a few brick houses 

 chiefly belonging to Europeans, and since its occupation by the British 

 the town ha* been fortified. Two narrow roads paved with brick 

 lead from the southern face of the stockade to the great pagoda, Shewi 

 Dagong ; and along the side* are built a number of Sidis, or monu- 

 ments, iu honour of Buddha. In form they may be compared to a 

 speaking-trumpet standing on its base. The lower part is generally a 

 polygon, and the shaft or upper part is round, the apex being orna- 

 mented with an iron net in form of an umbrella, called a Hi.' The 

 Shewi Dagong U in the same style as the rest, but richly gilt all over. 

 It U said to be about 278 feet high, and is surrounded by an iuclosure 

 iu which is an immense bell of very rude fabric. 



Rangoon was built by Alompra, after the destruction of Pegu and 

 Syrian in 1755, and the choice of the site shows the sagacity of the 

 conqueror. It was well adapted for ship-building, as the tid-j rises 

 from 18 to 24 feet. Timber can be procured from the teak-forests at 

 Sarwa, not far from Rangoon, and floated down the whole way to the 

 port ; consequently many vessels of considerable burden have been 

 built here. Besides its advantageous situation for commerce, the 

 elevated ground on which it is built secures it from being inundated 

 by the tropical rains to which all the lowlands of the delta of the 

 Irawaddy are subject The climate is temperate, agreeable, and salu- 

 brious. The place at first rose slowly, but by 1826 its commerce was 

 very large, and Crawfunl estimated the population at near 9000. Ou 

 January 2, 1852, at the commencement of the war in the liirma, 

 Rangoon was attacked by a British naval force, and the passage of the 

 river forced; on April 14 of the same year it was stormed by the 



