R I G 



meius made with them, in order to determine the refiltance 

 of the air. 



The French, in the courfe of the late war, have made 

 experiments on rifle ordnance of a different kind to that 

 above explained ; in which, in fact, the gun is of the ufual 

 form, the principal difference being in the nature and form 

 ot the ball, which M. Guyton (who has given an account 

 of thefe experiment,- in vol. vii. of the National Inftituteof 

 France) calls bullets a bague tie plomb, which in form arc cy- 

 lindrico-fpherical, the cylindric part being next the charge. 

 A rim of lead is fixed round the centre of the ball, ratlin 

 exceeding the bore of the gun, which is cut off bv the 

 edge ot the muzzle, in introducing the ball into the piece, 

 whereby all the advantages of the rifle are obtained, although 

 the rotatory motion above defcribed, and which is fuppofed 

 to have fo great an influence on the diredtion, has not place 

 in the prefent initance. According to M. Guyton's report, 

 the accuracy in the rectilinear motion of thefe balls ex- 

 ceeded any thing before known in artillery practice ; betide- , 

 that although the weight of the bullet was nearly double 

 that of a common lliot of a piece of the fame calibre, the 

 range in very tew inltances fell fhort of the common range, 

 and in tome even considerably exceeded it. The difficulty 

 and time requifite in loading a gun with a ball of this kind, 

 however, are to great, as, in our opinion, to render it ufe- 

 leis, although it icems to have been recommended for adop- 

 tion, in a few particular Situation*, by a committee of French 

 artillery officers. In the courfe of the memoir in which 

 the above experiments are detailed, M. Guyton mentions an- 

 other kind of rifle cannon, invented by an Italian officer, 

 which was found remarkably correct in projecting the ball 

 in a right line. The bore of this gun is llightly conical, 

 being greatelt at the breech, where the piece is loaded by 

 unferewing the breech, as in fome rifle mufkets and piltols : 

 the ball is of lead, which mult neceffarily, from the con- 

 (truction ot the gun, change its form in palling through the 

 bore. But this, as well as the one above-mentioned, feem 

 to require too much time in loading to be ever adopted as 

 regular pieces of ordnance. 



RIFTS, in Farriery, are fmall cracks, clefts, chaps, or 

 any other Similar fi (lures or openings in the hoofs of horfes' 

 feet. See thofe heads. 



RIG. See Rinoi. i-.'c. 



Rlt;, in Rural Economy, a male (heep, with none, or one 

 tcllicle only in the fcroutm. 



RIGA, in Geography, a fea-port town of Ruffia, for- 

 merly the capital of Livonia, now of the government of its 

 own name, is Situated in the gulf of Riga, and the fee of 

 an archbifhep. This town derives its eonfequence from its 

 Situation on the Duna, which, being navigable from the fron- 

 tiers of the government of Polutfk, brings the productions 

 of the north-eaftern puns of Poland and the weltcru pro- 

 vinces of Ruffia, and has depth enough to receive, clofe to 

 its walls, (hips of burden, which fail to and from the Bal 

 tic Next to St. Peterfbnrg, it is the molt commercial 

 town in the Ruffian empire. The trade is cliiefly carried 

 on by foreign merchants, who refide in the town. Thoh of 

 the Kngliih factory poffefs the greateft (hare of the com- 

 merce, and live in an hotpitable, lplendid manner. The prin- 

 cipal exports are corn, hemp, flax, iron, timber, mads, 

 l ither, t.illow ; and the imports arc lalt, cloth, lilks, 

 wine, grocery, potafh, and Salted herrings. The malt 

 trade is peculiarly beneficial to the town ; the burghers of 

 Riga fend perfons, who are called malt-cutters, into the 

 Ruffian provinces, to mark the trees, which are purchafed 

 Handing. They grow moilly on the diitricts which border 



It 1 G 



tiie Dnieper, are fent up that river to a landing-place, tranl- 

 ported 30 verfts to the Duna, are then formed into floats 

 of from 50 to 200 pieces, and defcend the itream to Riga. 

 The tree which produces the largeit malls is the Scotch 

 hr. Thofe pieces which are from 18 to 25 inches in dia- 

 meter, are called malls ; under thofe dimenfione, fpars, or, 

 in England, Norway malts; becaufe Norway exports no 

 trees more than 18 inches in diameter. The Englifli mer- 

 chants, who contrail with government, buy the malts from 

 the burghers of Riga, which are Skilfully examined in order 

 to ascertain their foundnefs, and are ufually from 70 to 80 

 feet in leil ' h. 



Th,- hemp is brought from the Ukraine and Poland, and 

 requires two years in its paffage to Riga. The barks in 

 which it is conveyed are from 250 to 300 tons burden, are 

 covered with mats, (loping like apent-houfe roof, and have 

 a falfe bottom. They afcend the Dnieper and Duna ; but 

 on account of numerous Shoals, can only pafs the Duna in 

 the fpring, or about three weeks after the fnow begins to 

 melt, and if they mil's that time, they are delayed till au- 

 tumn. The hemp exported from Riga is generally more 

 efteemed, and 30 per cent, dearer than that exported from 

 Petersburg ; the former comes from the Ukraine, the pro- 

 vinces of Mobile and Polotfk, and the neighbouring parts 

 of Poland; the other from the governments of Tver and 

 Novogorod. The Riga hemp is chiefly uled for (hrouds 

 and ftays of men of war, and procured by contract for the 

 Englifli admiralty and the Eaft India company. 



The inhabitants of Riga carry on alio a considerable com- 

 merce in fait. They import it from Spain, and fend it up 

 the Duna, to fupply the diltricts bordering on that river; 

 and by land into Courland, and into the neighbouring pro- 

 vinces of Poland. This town, fays Mr. Coxc, contains 

 within the fortifications 9000 inhabitants, and in the fu- 

 burbs 15,000, exclufive of a garrifon of icoo foldiers. Ac- 

 cording to Heym, the town and fuburbs contain 14,280 

 males, and 1 3,5 1 6 females. 



Over the Duna at Riga is a floating wooden bridge, 

 40 feet in breadth, and 2000 in length. A row of piles, 

 extends from one Ihore to the other; each pile is from 2 J 

 to 40 feet long, according to the depth of the river, and ap- 

 pears about four feet above the level of the water. To 

 thefe piles the pouts of the bridge are loofely fattened, by 

 means of iron chains tixed to the tranl eerie' beams. The 

 bridge nils and falls with the river; and, under the wheels 

 of heavy-laden carriages, plays as if actuated by a fpring. 

 This is the fafhiooable walk, and is an agreeable bufy fcene, 

 when crowded with people, and lined on each fide with 

 (hips taking in or unloading their cargoes. In the begin- 

 ning of winter, when the troit Sets in, the bridge is re- 

 moved; the piles, rem iinmg in the water, are forced up by 

 the ice, and conveyed to laud ; and the whole is laid down 

 again in the fpril 



Riga was built in lie- year 1200, and foon after inclofcd 

 by a wall. At different periods it hath fullered much by 



lire-: and lieges. N. lat. 56 cc'. K. long. 2 3 54'. 



Riot, Ital., a hue of the Staff, in Mu/ic ; and (peaking 

 of mulic in general, the whole live hues, or ftaff, are called 

 una rig*. 



RIGA DON, R10ODOS, and Rigautlon, a gay and lively 

 dame, written all thefe feveraj ways. Some lav it came 

 from Provence; but Rondeau affirms, thai he hu in en told 

 by an old d mci ig-raatter, that it had its name from its in- 

 ventor, Rigaud. 



At the beginning of the lalt century, there were three 

 dance9 which every eminent mailer taught, and every noble- 

 man's 



