Part 397

QUOTIENT. In arithmetic, the number resulting from the division of a greater number by a smaller, and which shews how often the smaller, or the divisor, is contained in the greater or dividend.

RABINET, formerly a name given to a small sort of ordnance between a falconet and a base, about one inch and a half diameter in the bore, five feet six inches long, and 300 pounds in weight, loaded with six ounces of powder, and carrying a shot one inch and three-eighths in diameter.

RACHAT du pain, Fr. a certain pecuniary allowance which was made in the old French service to the officers of each company, for the surplus rations of ammunition bread that were left in the purveyor’s hands. The same rule exists in the British service, when troops are in camp or barracks.

RACINE, Fr. See ROOT.

RACLOIR, Fr. A scraper. It is used in the artillery to cleanse out mortars.

RACOLER, Fr. To entice men to inlist.

RACOLEUR, Fr. a crimp, a bringer of recruits, one who entices others to inlist. Men of this description are to be found in all countries where military establishments prevail.

RACORDEMENT, Fr. This word is derived from racorder, which, in French architecture, signifies to join two pieces of building on one surface, or to unite an old building with a new one.

RADE, Fr. Road for ships to ride in.

RADEAUX, Fr. Rafters. They are frequently used in sieges, for the purpose of crossing ditches, &c. Chevalier Folard enters largely into the nature of these rafters, particularly in his 4th volume, page 67.

RADIOMETER, (Radiomètre, Fr.) This instrument is sometimes called Jacob’s staff, bâton de Jacob. It is used by some to take the sun’s altitude, and by others to ascertain elevations at sea.

RADIUS, the semi-diameter of a circle. In fortification, the radius is distinguished into exterior, interior, oblique, and right radius. The three former are noticed each under its initial letter. The latter is a perpendicular line drawn from the centre of a polygon to the exterior side.

RAFFINAGE, Fr. a term used by the French to express the operation through which saltpetre passes after it has been boiled once. The literal meaning is refining; the act of cleansing any thing from recrementitious matter.

RAFFINER, Fr. To refine.

RAFFINOIR, Fr. a wooden cask, or copper vessel, in which saltpetre is deposited after it has been boiled once. It usually remains thirty minutes, after which it is let out through a cock fixed for that purpose at the bottom of the vessel.

RAFRAICHISSEMENS, Fr. Provisions. See QUARTIER.

RAFRAICHIR, Fr. To cool; to spunge; as rafraichir le canon; to spunge a cannon.

RAFRAICHIR une place, Fr. to succor a place by sending in fresh troops and provisions.

RAFRAICHIR des troupes, Fr. to allow troops to repose; likewise to supply them with fresh provisions.

RAFTS, a kind of frames or floats made by laying pieces of timber together, or across each other, to serve as bridges for troops to pass over rivers.

RAFTERS, are pieces of timber, which, standing by pairs on the transom, wall plate, or raising piece, meet in an angle at the top, and form the roof of a building.

It is a rule in building, that no rafters should stand farther than 12 inches from one another: and as to their sizes and scantlings, that principal rafters, from 12 feet 6 inches to 14 feet 6 inches long, be 5 inches broad at the top, and 8 at the bottom, and 6 inches thick: those from 14 feet 6 inches, to 18 feet 6 inches long, to be 9 inches broad at the foot, 7 inches at the top, and 7 inches thick: and those from 18 feet 6 inches, to 21 feet 6 inches, to be 10 inches broad at the foot, 8 at the top, and 8 thick. Single rafters, 8 feet in length, must have 4¹⁄₂ inches, and 3³⁄₄ in their square. Those of 9 feet long, must be 5, and 4 inches square.

RAJPUTES, or RAUJPOOTS, Ind. The second tribe of the four great classes of Hindus; the priests or Bramins are the first. Both classes may be soldiers, and none but members of one or other of these classes can be kings or princes. Rauj means great, and poot means arms, that is great in arms; they are the descendants of the military tribe of Hindus.

RAJAH, Ind. This word means an authority equivalent to that of a king. The Rajahs became generally tributary to the Mogul, but were suffered to follow their own modes of government.

RAIE, Fr. properly means a seam, furrow, streak.

RAINURE, Fr. a grove.

RAIS, Fr. a spoke of a wheel.

To RAISE Troops. See LEVY.