RON 



11 O N 



It is feparated from the ifle of Sanday by a rapid and dan- 

 gerous frith, two miles in breadth, and contains an area of 

 four fquare miles in extent, which fupports about 500 in- 

 habitants. The whole ifland is flat, and little raifed above 

 the level of the ocean, which rendered it peculiarly dan- 

 gerous to navigators, previous to the ereftion of a light- 

 houfe on its north-eaftern extremity. It is neverthelefs 

 dry and healthy, and produces both corn and grafs of ex- 

 cellent quality, and fufficient to fupply the home confump- 

 tion. The inhabitants are fober, honeft, and induftrious, 

 beyond the generality of the Orkney iflanders. In winter, 

 their chief occupation is the care of their cattle and crops, and 

 fifhing, when the weather will permit their venturing to fea. 

 In fpring they are employed on the land, as in other places ; 

 and when fummer arrives, almoft every individual is actively 

 engaged in the manufacture of kelp, of which they make- 

 about 120 tons every year. Near the centre of the ifland 

 is a fingle ftone monument, ten feet high, and four broad, 

 round which it is cuftomary for the inhabitants to affemble 

 annually, on the firit day of January, to ufher in the new 

 year with the fong and the dance. Tumuli are numerous, 

 one of which, on being opened, " was found to contain a 

 building of nine feet in diameter, circular on the outride, 

 and fquare and hollow within, in the bottom of which was 

 a well, and in the upper part the fkeleton of a man in nearly 

 an upright attitude." Hiftory of the Orkney Iflands, by 

 the Rev. Dr. Barry ; fecond edition, by the Rev. James 

 Headrick, 4to. Lond. 1808. 



Ronaldsav, South, one of the Orkney iflands, Scot- 

 land, is fituated to the fouthward of the Mainland of Ork- 

 ney, at the diftance of feven miles from Duncanfby Head, in 

 Caithnefs. In fuperficial extent it contains about eighteen 

 fquare miles ; and its inhabitants amounted to 1 63 I in the 

 year 181 1. The greater part of this ifland is very well cul- 

 tivated ; and is equally fit for corn and palture. Of the 

 former, a larger quantity is raifed than can be confumed at 

 home, and hence a considerable exportation takes place to 

 the Mainland. The bowels of the earth contain lead ore, 

 of which a very prcmiling vein has been difcovered at Grim- 

 nefs Head, and another at Widewall. The fhores abound 

 with kelp, which is a fource of great wealth to the in- 

 habitants ; and the fea affords fifh in vaft numbers, and of 

 the befl quality. An Englifh company employs about 

 twenty veflels in carrying cod-fifh and lobfters to the Lon- 

 don market. This ifland is excellently furnilhed with har- 

 bours : for, be fides feveral places where fhips may anchor for 

 a time, it has the fafe and commodious road of St. Mar- 

 garet's Hope on the north, and the bay of Widewall on the 

 fouth. Here are alfo fome interefting objects of antiquity. 

 On the fummit of a hill, near Stow's Head, are the remains 

 of a monument compofed of three upright ftones, placed in 

 a triangular form, but only one of them is now (landing. 

 Another ftone monument is fituated in the beautiful vale of 

 Paplay. It coniifts of a fingle block of ftone, fixteen feet 

 high, and deftitute of all marks of human art, by which to 

 difcriminate its ufe. Similar ftones of fmaller dimenfions 

 may be feen in other parts of the ifland, which likewife 

 affords a number of tumuli, and feveral of thofe buildings 

 ufually called Pi&s-houfes ; alfo the ruins of fome Catholic 

 chapels and chantries. Hiftory of the Orkney Iflands. 



RONAY, one of the weftern ifles of Scotland, is fitu- 

 ated between the Mainland and the Ifle of Skye. It is 

 about four miles in leneth, and two in breadth ; and has a 

 more level furface, and greater fertility of foil, than moft 

 iflands of the Hebrides ; but its cultivation is much ne- 

 glected. On the weftern fide of the ifland is an excellent 

 harbour for fhipping ; and round the coaft the fea has hol- 

 lowed out feveral caves, fome of which afford fine fpecimens 



of ftaladtites. Carlifle's Topographical Dictionary of Scot- 

 land, ij.to. 1 813. Sinclair's Statiltical Account of Scot- 

 land, vol. xvi. 8vo. 



RONCA de Scaglta, a town of Italy, in the depart- 

 ment of the Panaro ; 20 miles S. of Modena. 



RONCADOR, an ifland in the Caribbean fea. N. lat. 

 1 3 45'. W. long. 79 30'. 



Ro.vcador, or Rum Key, one of the fmaller Bahama 

 iflands. N. lat. 23° 26'. W. long. 75°3'. 



RONCAGLIA, Francesco, in Biography, an Italian 

 opera finger, with a foprano voice, who arrived in England 

 in 1777 as firft man in our lyric theatre, when Sacchim was 

 here, and the Danzi, afterwards madame Le Brun, was tint 

 woman. 



Roncaglia had a beautiful face, and elegant figure ; a 

 fweet-toned voice ; a chalte and well-difciplined ltyle of fing- 

 ing ; hazarded nothing, and was always in tune. The belt 

 part of his voice, which was a foprano, was from D to A ; 

 he fometime3 went to C, but not eafily. Both his voice 

 and fhake were feeble ; and of the three great requifites of 

 a complete itage linger, pathos, grace, and execution, 

 which the Italians call canlabilc, graziofa, and bravura, he- 

 was in perfect pofleffion of only the fecond. As his voice, 

 though of an exquifite quality, was by no means power- 

 ful, and little more than a -voce di camera (more fuited to a 

 room than a fpacious theatre), his iinging at concerts, when 

 confined to the graz-iofa ft vie, left nothing for an audience to 

 wifh. He was of the Bologna fchool, formed by Piltocco 

 and Bernacchi, and reminded his hearers of one of their 

 bell fcholars, Guarducci. 



Roncaglia remained here two feafons, and was fucceeded 

 by Pacchierotti. 



Roncaglia, in Geography, a town of Italy, in the 

 duchy of Piacenza ; 8 miles E. of Piacenza. — Alfo, a 

 town of the county of Tyrol ; 14 miles N.E. of Trent. 



RONCARUOLO, a town in the duchy of Piacenza; 



4 miles E. N.E. of Piacenza. 



RONCAU, a town of the ifland of Dominica. 



RONCEVALLOS, a town of Spain, in Navarre, 

 fituated in a valley of the fame name, between Pamplona 

 and St. Jean Pie de Porte. This valley has been celebrated 

 in romance for the defeat of the emperor Charlemagne, and 

 the death of Roland ; 14 miles N.N.E. of Pamplona. 



RONCHAMPS, a town of France, in the department 

 of the Upper Saoae ; 5 miles E. of Eure. 



RONCHAUX, a town of France, in the department of 

 the Doubs ; 3 miles S. of Quingey. 



RONCIGLTONE, a Town of Italy, and capital of a 

 county, to which it gives name, in the Patrimonio ; 10 miles 

 S. of Viterbo. N. lat. 42°. E. long. 12 8'. 



RONCINA, a town of Auftria, in the county of Goritz ; 



5 miles N. of Goritz. 



RONCO, a town of the Ligurian republic ; 15 miles 

 N. of Genoa. 



RONCOFERRATO, a town of Italy, in the depart- 

 ment of the Mincio ; 7 miles E. of Mantua. 



RONCOFREDDO, a town of Italy, in the department 

 of the Rubicon ; 9 miles W. of Rimini. 



RONDA, a town of Spain, in the province of Grenada, 

 fituated on a fertile fpot, which fupplies Cadiz with all kinds 

 of fruit and vegetables. The foil, which is of a reddifh co- 

 lour, abounds with pebbles, and refills the action of fire ; and 

 it is therefore ufed in furnaces for fufing iron. The adja- 

 cent country is famous among other curiofities for that fpe- 

 cies of Viverra, called Genette (fee Vivekra) ; and alfo 

 for wild bulls, wolves, and other ferocious animals : its 

 rocks ferve alfo as a retreat for eagles, ofpreys, and kites ; 

 35 miles W. of Malaga. N. lat. 36 45'. W. lontr. 5 iy'. 



RONDE, 



