388 
R O S 
R 0 S 
lain to King Charles I. His works are numerous, of which 
the best known is “A view of all Religions,” and a curious 
performance, called “VirgiliusEvangelizans,” taken wholly 
from the iEneid. He died in 1654, aged 61. 
ROSS (John), a learned prelate, born in Herefordshire, and 
educated at St. John’s college, Cambridge, who published a 
pamphlet in defence of Dr. Middleton, against the criticisms 
of Dr. Markland, and in 1749, an edition of Cicero’s “Epis- 
tolae ad Familiares,” in two vols. 8vo. He died in 1792. 
ROSS (John Lockhart), the fifth son of Sir James Lock¬ 
hart, was born in November 1721, and having manifested an 
inclination for the sea service, he was, at the age of 14, 
placed under Captain Osborne, who then commanded his 
majesty’s ship the Portland of 50 guns, which sailed in Sep¬ 
tember, 1735, for Constantinople. He served in several dif¬ 
ferent ships, and under different commanders, till 1743, when 
he was advanced to the rank of lieutenant. It was not till 
1755, that he was appointed to a command, which was in 
the Savage sloop of war, of 12 guns and 70 men. In a 
very short time he took a St. Domingo merchant-man, 
valued at 30,000/. In the following year he was appointed 
to the command of the Tartar sloop of 24 guns, and 200 
men. War was now declared against the French, and on 
the 20th of September, he chased and engaged two French 
frigates of 28 guns, and drove them into Morlaix. With¬ 
out particularizing the instances of his success, we may ob¬ 
serve that, between the 20th of September, 1756, and the 
19th of October, 1758, he took nine privateers, containing 
220 guns, and about 2500 men, with the loss of only five 
men killed and two wounded in the different engagements. 
At length the name of captain Lockhart was almost sufficient 
to terrify the enemy to strike. The following fact, which 
stands upon the most indubitable authority, shews in what 
manner he was regarded on the seas. A privateer belonging 
to Bristol, called the King George, and commanded by a 
Mr. Read, having fallen in with an enemy's ship of far su¬ 
perior force, during the night, and finding that the exigen¬ 
cies of her situation demanded the most prompt and vigorous 
exertions to preserve herself from capture, the commander 
ran with great spirit along-side, and hailing the enemy, com¬ 
manded her to strike to the Tartar, Captain Lockhart, and 
was instantly obeyed without the smallest hesitation. Cap¬ 
tain Lockhart’s conduct in protecting the trade of the country 
was so meritorious, that the magistrates of Plymouth, imme¬ 
diately after his return to port, voted him the freedom of 
their corporation to be presented him in a gold box. A 
present equally honourable was made him the ensuing year, 
by the merchants and underwriters of London, which con¬ 
sisted of a silver cup and salver, curiously chased, and em¬ 
bossed with his arms, and the representation of the Tartar, 
and the several privateers which had been captured by 
him. 
In 1759, he was promoted to the Chatham, of 50 guns, 
and had two smaller vessels put under his command. In a 
short cruise he took the Arethusa, a French frigate of 32 guns. 
In the following year he was promoted to the Bedford, a 
third rate, but did not long retain the command. In the 
same year, by the death of a brother, he changed his name 
to Ross, and was elected a representative in parliament. It 
was not till 1777 that he was called again to serve his country 
in the sea-service. In that year he was employed under the 
orders of AdmiralKeppel, in the famous battle on the 27th of 
July. In 1779 he was raised to the rank of rear-admiral 
of the blue, and appointed fourth in command of the 
Channel Beet, having hoisted his flag on board the 
Royal George of 100 guns. About this period he succeeded 
his brother to the dignity of a baronet. He next accom¬ 
panied Sir George Rodney on his fortunate expedition, un¬ 
dertaken for the relief of Gibraltar. After his return he went 
but little to sea ; but in 1787 he was advanced to the rank of 
vice-admiral of the blue; and here closed the professional 
career of Sir John Lockhart Ross, who, considering his great 
zeal and activity in the prosecution of the duties of his pro¬ 
fession, and the vast benefits which the commercial interests 
of his country reaped from his exertions, must be allowed to 
rank very high in his profession. His coolness and intrepi¬ 
dity in the hour of battle were never surpassed; and, in the 
course of a very long service, to fight and to conquer were 
alike habitual to him. He died in June, 1790, after a linger¬ 
ing and painful illness; and his remains were interred in the 
Ross aisle, forming the east end of the church of Fearn, which 
had been the burying-place of all the respectable families of 
the name of Ross for many ages. Stoc/cdale's edition of 
Campbell's Lives o f the Admirals , vol. vi. 
ROSS, one of the most extensive counties in Scotland, 
extending from the eastern to the western seas, taking in the 
whole breadth of the island, and having the insular district of 
Lewis politically annexed to it. It is bounded on the north 
by Sutherland, on the east by Cromarty and the Moray frith, 
on the south by Inverness-shire, and on the west by the 
ocean, lying between 57. 8. and 57. 59. north lat. and 
between 4. 0. and 5. 46. west long, from Greenwich; to¬ 
wards the middle being 56 miles from north to south, but in 
other meridians foim 23 to 34 miles; and its greatest extent 
from west to east exceeding 70 miles. It consists of about 
2070 square miles, or 1,324,800 English acres. The form 
of this county is very irregular, being much indented by 
numerous lakes and friths, particularly the friths of Cromarty 
and Dornoch on the east coast, and on the west coast by 
Loch Carron, Loch Broom, and various other inlets of the 
sea, called lochs, which run a great way inland in different 
directions. The eastern coast of Ross-shire, to a short dis¬ 
tance from the sea, is well improved, abundantly fertile, 
and ornamented with a variety of country seats. Beyond 
this track, the inland districts become rude, lofty, and terrific ; 
but, though wild and mountainous, there are many pleasant 
glens, or valleys, which afford abundance of pasture for black 
cattle and sheep. The general aspect of the western districts 
is extremely uninviting to a stranger, as they exhibit vast 
piles of rocky mountains, with broken summits, and snowy 
glaciers lodged in their deep shaded recesses. Yet, even in 
that dreary and desolate region, there are some sheltered 
tracks of shallow and not unfruitful soil. Some of the 
mountains in this county are of great height. Benvaish is 
seen from a great distance ; and its summit is almost perpe¬ 
tually covered with snow. There are many lakes of conside¬ 
rable extent in the valleys, the chief of which are Loch Mari, 
Loch Fannich, Loch Morrar, Loch Lichart, &c. which give 
rise to numerous rivers, that fertilise the valleys, and 
afford plenty of salmon and other fish to the inhabitants. 
The principal rivers are the Conon, the Orrin, the Beauly, 
which forms its boundary with Inverness-shire, and Oickel, 
which is the boundary with Sutherland. The valleys or 
straths are mostly covered with wood; indeed the whole 
country seems to have been an immense forest, the most con¬ 
siderable remain of which is the forest of Alfraig, which is 
nearly 20 miles in length. Great numbers of horses, black 
cattle, sheep, and goats, are fed on the hills, which also 
abound with game; and the sea, rivers, and lakes, teem with 
fish and water-fowl. The lochs, especially on the western 
coast, are finely adapted for fishing stations, as they are 
visited regularly by a shoal of herrings. This has induced 
the British society for the encouragement of the fisheries to 
erect one of their towns (Ullapool) on the coast of Loch 
Broom : but this trade is decaying, in consequence, it is 
said, of overfishing. This county is subdivided into many 
districts, the most considerable of which are the following:— 
Ferindonald, the country of the Munroes, comprehends the 
two parishes of Kiltearn and Kintail, and is remarkable for 
the diversity of its scenery, consisting of hills, mountains, 
lakes, rivers, woods, and plantations, interspersed with some 
cultivated fields on the north side of Cromarty frith. Free¬ 
water, Balnagowan, Derrymoor, &c. inland districts north¬ 
ward of Benvaish, are wild, rugged, and mountainous; but 
there are many valleys covered with natural wood, or pastures. 
Groinord, the north-west division of the shire, situated 
between Loch Broom and Loch Maree, comprehends an area 
of 400 square miles nearly. It is indented by inlets of the 
sea, along the borders of which are some strips of arable 
land. Gairloch is a mountainous and barren track, 25 miles 
long, 
