R H A 



R H A 



at the north end of the town, near a houfe known by the 

 appellation of Pen-y-Maes. At prefent Rhayader confilts 

 of four flreets which interfect each other at right angles, 

 and lie nearly parallel to the four cardinal points. In the 

 wide (pace formed by the interferon of thefe flreets (lands 

 the town-hall, which is a handfome building, rebuilt by fub- 

 fcription in 1762. The church is a plain ilru&ure, orna- 

 mented with a tower at one end ; befides which there is a 

 place of worfhip for Prelbyterians and another for Method- 

 ifts. The grammar-fchool was ereded A.D. 1793, and hai 

 an endowment for the education of a limited number of poor 

 children. The borough of Rhayader is a diftinct parifh of 

 itfelf, and is exempt from the payment of county rates. 

 The market-day here is Wednefday, weekly ; and there are 

 fairs on the 6th and 27th of Auguft, 26th September, 14th 

 October, and 3d December, for horfes, fheep, and cattle ; 

 befides three great markets in May. The chief fupport 

 of this town arifes from the manufacture of woollens, prin- 

 cipally flannel. According to the population returns of 

 181 1, the parifli contained 97 houfes and 446 inhabitants. 



On an eminence to the N.W. of the town flood the 

 ancient caftle of Rhayader, which was erected, in the year 

 1 1 78, by Rhys-ap-Gruffydd, prince of South Wales, in 

 order to check the incurfions of the Normans, who, at that 

 period, made great irruptions in the marches of Wales. In 

 1 1 94, prince Rhys having been furprized and taken pri- 

 foner by his own fons, this caftle was befieged and compelled 

 to furrender to the fons of Cadwalhon-ap-Madawe of 

 Maelienydd, by whom it was fortified for their own ufe. 

 In the year 1 23 1, after Llywelyn, prince of North Wales, had 

 taken and deftroyed the caltle of Montgomery, he marched 

 hither, and vifited the caftle of Rhayader with a fimilar fate. 

 It was rebuilt, however, and continued to be a place of de- 

 fence till the civil wars in the feventeeuth century, when it 

 was difmantled and totally deftroyed ; the fofle by which it 

 was furrounded being the only veftige of it remaining at 

 the prefent day. The tower, or citadel, flood in a direct 

 line between the caftle and the gaol, overlooking the river. 

 The mount adjacent is ft ill denominated Tower-hill. Near 

 this place a flone bridge is thrown over the Wye, which the 

 Welfh call Rhaiadr-Gwy, in allufion to the rumbling noife 

 its impetuous waters make amidft the rocks. The only re- 

 ligious houfe, recorded to have been fituated at Rhayader, 

 was a convent of Dominican, or Black friars, founded foon 

 after their firft arrival in England, A. D. 1221. This houfe 

 was fupprefled in the 31ft year of king Henry VIII. 



In the immediate vicinity of Rhayader, the fcenery of the 

 Wye is peculiarly grand. Raging in its rocky bed, this 

 river is feen through the light foliage of impendent trees, 

 fometimes precipitating its waters over a bold ledge of rock, 

 and fometimes fearching its way among protruding crags, in 

 a contracted Iheet of gliftening foam. The mountains by 

 which the vale of Rhayader is environed, difplay a wild and 

 rugged character, and are noted, according to local tradi- 

 tion, as being the place of fhelter in which king Vortigern 

 eluded the fearch of Hen gift, after his alleged murder of 

 the Britifh nobles at Stonehenge. Thefe hills abound with 

 various kinds of minerals, particularly lead and copper. 

 There are feveral cairns in this neighbourhood, the moil re- 

 markable of which is that of Totnmen Sant Ffraid, on the 

 S.W. fide of the town, in the parifh of Cwm-y-dan-Ddwr, 

 fuppofed to be the cemetery of Saint Fraid, the Popifh tu- 

 telary faint of that parifh. Carlifle's Topographical Dic- 

 tionary of Wales, 4to. 181 1. A Tour throughout South 

 Wales and Monmouthfhire, by J. T. Barber, F.S.A. 8vo. 

 1803. 



R.HAIDR, a river which rifes in the E. part of Merio- 



nethlhire, North Wales, and runs into the Severn on the 

 borders of Shropfhire. 



RHAIR, a confiderable river of Hindootlan, which runs 

 by the fouth fide of Shawpour. The ftream, which is about 

 100 yards wide and four feet in depth, dallies with great 

 rapidity over a bed of rock ; which prevents its being navi- 

 gable for large boats. This river riles in the hills and 

 forefls of Surgooja, and after being joined by the Bijool and 

 Gutauin, falls into the Soane near Agowry. 



RHAMNjE, or RhANNJE, in Ancient Geography, a peo- 

 ple of India, in the mountains near the river Namadus. 

 Ptolemy. 



RHAMNI, in Botany, a natural order of plants in 

 Jufiieu, being the 951I1 in his feries, or the 13th of his 

 14th clafs, and owing its name to the principal genus. See 

 Rhamm's. 



See the character of the clafs under FicoiDK.E. The 

 order is thus defined. 



Calyx inferior, of one leaf, with a definite number of feg- 

 ments in the limb. Petals five, rarely four or fix, and very 

 rarely wanting, inferted into the upper part of the calyx, 

 or into its -difk, either oppofite to, or alternate with, its 

 fegments, and equal to them in number ; fometimes refem- 

 bling little icales, and furnifhed with claws ; fometimes united 

 by their broad bafes. Stamens of the fame number ;.s the 

 petals, and inferted into the fame part, either alternate with 

 them, or oppofite to them. Germen fuperior, encompafled 

 below with the difk of the calyx. Styles either folitary, or 

 of fome definite number. Stigmas one or more. Fruit lu- 

 perior ; in fome inftances pulpy, either with many cells, or 

 many nuts, the cells, or nuts, fingle-feeded ; in other cafes 

 capfular, of many cells and many valves, the partitions from 

 the middle of each valve, and the cells containing either one 

 or two feeds. Corculum flat and ftraight, furrounded with 

 a flefliy albumen. Stem arboreous or fhrubby. Leaves 

 either alternate or oppofite, accompanied by Jlipulas, that 

 are often very minute. 



Section 1. Stamens alternate tvith the petals. Fruit cap- 

 fular. Staphylea ; Euonymus ; and Celajlrus of Linnxus ; 

 with Polycardia of Lamarck. 



Sect. 2. Stamens alternate with the petals. Fruit a drupa 

 or berry. Some genera of this feftion have the petals con- 

 nected by their broad bafe. 



Myginda ; Goupia of Aublet, which is Glojfopetalum of 

 Schreber ; Rubentia of Commerfon, certainly the fame genus 

 with Jacquin's Elttodendrum, as Jufiieu indeed fufpetlcd ; 

 Cajjine ; Schrebera of Linnaeus, a genus founded altogether 

 in error, as we (hall explain in its proper place ; Ilex ; and 

 Prinos. 



SecL 3. Stamens oppofite to the petals. Fruit drupaceoui. 



Mayepea of Aublet, erroneoufly placed here, as belong- 

 ing really to the Jafminea (fee Mayepea) ; Samara; Rham- 

 nus ; Ziziphus ; Pa/iitrus ; the two lafl feparated from the 

 Linnxan Rhamnus, by Jufiieu. See Paliurus. 



Sect. 4. Stamens oppofite to the petals. Fruit threelobed. 



Colletia of Commerfon, Lamarck Illullr. t. 129; Ceano- 

 thus ; Hovenia ; and Phylica; to which is to be added La- 

 SIOPETALUM ; fee that article. 



Sect. 5. Genera akin to Rhamni, their germen mo/lly 

 fuperior. 



Brunia of Linnaeus, fome of whofe reputed fpecies have 

 the germen iuperior, others inferior ; and Bumalda of 

 Thunberg. 



Sect. 6. Genera aii/i to Rhamni, lut differing in having an 

 inferior germen. 



Gouania ; PleSronia, dubioufly admiffible here, as we 

 have obferved in its proper place : Carpcdetus of Forfler ; 



Aucuba 



