R E C 



along the cylinder, is to the length of the cannon diminifhcd 

 by the i'pace behind the ball, as the weight of the ball is to 

 the weight of the cannon. Let a twenty-four pounder 

 often feet be 6400 pounds weight, and when the ball quits the 

 piece, the cannon will have recoiled ^4J-o- X 10 — -g\ of a 

 foot, lefs than half an inch. 



The greater the charge, cateris paribus, the greater the 

 rebound. By an experiment made before the Royal Society, 

 and related in the Philofophical Tranfaftions, it was found, 

 that cannons, charged to a certain degree, throw the ball 

 from right to left of their own direftion ; but that the can- 

 nons themfelves recoil from left torigiit. 



Some of the gentlemen of the French academy doubting 

 the julhiefs of the oblervation, M. Caffini, the younger, un- 

 dertook to repeat the experiment ; which he did by means of 

 a machme, as like that ufed in England as he could : and 

 that tried over and over again. 



The refult was, that the ball, when the gun had liberty 

 to recoil, was always thrown to the right of the point to 

 which it was thrown when the gun was fixed without a pof- 

 fibility of rebounding ; but then the recoil was always made 

 the fame way, •viz. to the right ; and he never found that 

 contrariety of diretlions between the ball and the rebound, 

 obferved iu the Engliih experiment. See Hill. Acad. R. 

 Scienc. A. 1703. p. I20, &c. 



The caufe of the phenomenon feems very difficult to 

 affign ; for fuppofing the guns of a common make, with the 

 touch-hole on the top, we cannot fo much as guefs what 

 caufe fhould conitantly determine the ball from right to left ; 

 unlefs fome verv material circumftances be omitted in the re- 

 cital they have given us in the experiment. 



Guns whofe vents are a little forward in the chafe recoil 

 moft. To leden the recoil of a gun, the platforms are gene- 

 rally made Hoping towards the embrafures of the battery. 

 See Pkojectiles. 



RECOLATION, a method of fining the decocftions 

 of vegetables, &c. by repeated percolation, or draining 

 them feveral times fucceffively through a linen or woollen- 

 bag. 



RECOLLECTION, a mode of thinking, by which thofe 

 ideas, fought after by the mind, are with pain and endeavour 

 found, and brought again to view. See Memory and Ima- 

 gination. 



RECOLLETS, a congregation of reformed Francif- 

 cans, called alfo friers minor of St. Francis, of the flriS ob- 

 fervance. They were effablifhed about the year 1532, when 

 fome religious of the order of St. Francis being willing to 

 keep his rule to the letter, Clement VII. gave them houfes, 

 whither they might retire, and receive fuch as were difpofed 

 to follow them. The fame year he approved the reform ; 

 and in 1584 it was carried from Italy into France, where 

 thefe religious had already been eftabliflled, in the towns of 

 Tulles in Limoifin, and Murat in Auvergne. They had 

 a convent at Paris in 1603 ; and fince they have erefted no 

 lefs than a hundred and fifty in the whole kingdom, where 

 they are divided into feven provinces. 



RECOLOGNE, in Geography, a town of France, in 

 the department of the Doubs ; eight miles W. of Be- 

 fangon. 



RECOMMENDATI. See Affidavit. 

 RECOMMENDATION, in a Military Senfe, denotes 

 a certificate, ilating an individnal to be properly qualified 

 for a fituation in the army. This certificate muft be figned 

 by a field-officer in the regulars, addrelfed to the command- 

 ing officer of the regiment, by whom it is forwarded to the 

 commander-in-chief, who lays the name of the perfon re- 

 commended before the king. 



R E C 



RECOMPOSITION, in Chemi/lry, the compounding 

 of bodies from their feparated parts, or principles, fo as to 

 compofe the original whole again. This is extremely diffi- 

 cult to cd'ca uiuverfally, but in fome cafes it may be done, 

 and that fo perfedlly, that the recompofcd body (hall not 

 be dillinguilhable by the fenfes from that which had never 

 been feparated by the fire. If the art of chemidry were 

 perfeft, we fhould thus be able, at lead in fome degree, to 

 recompofe all the bodies we divide ; but this is far from 

 being the cafe at prefcnt. We can by no means do this 

 in vegetable and animal bodies, where there is a vafcular 

 flrufturc, and therefore we are carefully to diftinguilh be- 

 tween the regeneration of organized, and that of unorga- 

 nized bodies. 



RECONCILIARI, inourZ^w^Wj-, &c. A church 

 is faid reconciliari, to be reconciled, when it is confecrated 

 afrefh, after having been polluted or profaned ; as by the 

 poffefTion of pagans, heretics, &c. 



RECONCILIATION of Penitents, in Church Hiflory, 



See POENITENTES. 



RECONNOITRE, in War, implies to view and examine 

 the date of things, in order to make a report of them. 



The word is French, figiiifying, literally, to Inoiu, re- 

 collect. 



We fay to reconnoitre the coails, to reconnoitre a port, 

 &c. A body of horfe was fent to reconnoitre their camp, 

 the ground, the condition of the roads, rivers, &c. 



Parties ordered to reconnoitre, are to obferve the country 

 and the enemy ; to remark the routes, convenier.cics, and 

 inconveniencics of the firll ; the pofition, march, or forces 

 of the fecond. In either cafe, they (hould have an expert 

 geographer, capable of taking plans readily ; he fhould be 

 the befl mounted of the whole, that in cafe the enemy happen 

 to fcatter the efcort, he may fave his works and ideas. 



All parties that go for reconnoitring only, (hould be but 

 few in number : never more than twelve or twenty men. 

 An officer, be his rank what it will, cannot dechne going 

 with 10 few under his command : the honour is amply made 

 up by the importance of the expedition, frequently of the 

 moft interefting confequence, and the propereil to recom- 

 mend the prudence, bravery, and addrefs of any officer that 

 has the fortune to fucceed. 



It is previoufly neceflary that the officer ordered on this 

 duty fhould be well acquainted with the countiy, the roads, 

 and the diftance of the enemy. His party muil confift of 

 men of approved fidelity, part of whom fhould be difguifed. 

 This detachment muft march off in the night. The men 

 muft have ttricl orders neither to fmoke tobacco, make a 

 noife, nor fpeak. The officer m.uft be provided with two 

 guides, who are to be ftriftly interrogated, but are to re- 

 main ignorant of the route you intend to take. A detach- 

 ment of this kind (hould be furnifhed with fubfiftence for 

 two or three days. The horfes are to be fed every two or 

 three leagues, for it is abfolutely necefTary that they fhould 

 be always frefh and fit for duty. The officer will take care 

 never to halt, but at a diftance from any road, and alfo take 

 every precaution to prevent Iiis being furprifed, whilft hil 

 horfes are feeding, &c. 



Reconnoitre is alfo ufed at fea. To reconnoitre a vef- 

 fel, a fleet, &c. is to approach near enough to examine the 

 rate and burden of a veflel, &c. the force it may have aboard, 

 what nation it is of, &c. 



To reconnoitre a land, or fhore, is to obferve its fituation, 

 in order to find what land it is. 



RECORD, Recordium, in Laiv, an authentic teftimony 

 of any thing in writing, contained in rolls of parchment, and 

 preferved in a court of record. See Court, and Custom. 



Records 



