Part 431

Composition for rain to head sky rockets, is the same as the above for the rockets.

General Table of Sky Rockets.

+------------------------------+------+-------+------+------+ | | 2 | 1 | ¹⁄₂ | ¹⁄₄ | | |Pound.| Pound.|Pound.|Pound.| +------------------------------+------+-------+------+------+ | | Inch.| Inch. | Inch.| Inch.| | {Exterior diameter | 2.13 | 1.69 | 1.34 | 1.06 | |Case{Interior diameter | 1.529| 1.214 | 0.961| 0.761| | {Length before driving |15.97 |12.67 |10.05 | 8.25 | |Length of guage for the choke | 1.5 | 1.25 | 1.0 | 0.75 | |Cylinders for heading{Diameter| 2.84 | 2.25 | 1.79 | 1.39 | | {Length | 4.26 | 3.38 | 2.68 | 2.12 | |Cones for heading { Diameter| 2.84 | 2.25 | 1.79 | 1.39 | | { Height | 4.36 | 3.38 | 2.68 | 2.18 | |Mallet for driving--Weight | 1lb. | 3 8oz.| 2 1 | 1 10 | |No. of Strokes | 31 |21 |18 |13 | +------------------------------+------+-------+------+------+

Copper Ladles for filling Sky Rockets.

Length, 1¹⁄₂ the exterior diameter of the case.

Diameter, equals the interior diameter of case.

Circumference, ³⁄₄ the interior calibre of the case.

Sky rockets are driven with composition up to 4¹⁄₂ exterior diameters of the case from the choke; and ¹⁄₅ of a diameter above the composition with good clay. They are bored and reamed up to 3¹⁄₂ diameters.

Dimensions of Sticks for Rockets. General rules.

For rockets from ¹⁄₂ an ounce to one pound, the stick must be 60 diameters of the rocket in length: for rockets from one pound and upwards fifty or fifty-two diameters. Their thickness at top about ¹⁄₂ a diameter, and their breadth very little more. Their square at bottom equal to ¹⁄₂ the thickness at top.

+------------+-------+------+------+------+--------+-------+-------+ |Kind of | | | | | | | | |Rockets. | 6 Pr. | 4 Pr.| 2 Pr.| 1 Pr.| ¹⁄₂ Pr.|¹⁄₄ Pr.|¹⁄₈ Pr.| +------------+-------+------+------+------+--------+-------+-------+ | |ft.in. |ft.in.|ft.in.|ft.in.|ft.in. | ft.in.| ft.in.| |Distance of | | | | | | | | |poise from | | | | | | | | |the point of| | | | | | | | |the cone | 4 1¹⁄₂| 3 9 | 2 9 | 2 1 | 1 10¹⁄₂| 1 8 | 1 3 | +------------+-------+------+------+------+--------+-------+-------+

Rockets of between 3 and 4 inches diameter have been observed to ascend as high as 1000 or 1200 yards; but the height of common rockets is between 450 and 600 yards; and their flight usually short of 7 seconds.

ROCKET as used in India. A most formidable weapon against cavalry; they are made of the hollow tube of the bamboo, of a very large size, filled with the usual composition of rockets. The rod is only a part of the same bamboo, the six eighths or seven eighths of which is cut away, leaving the rod. See FOUGETTE.

ROCKETS. See LABORATORY.

ROD. See MEASURING.

RODS, or rammers, either of iron or wood, to drive home the charges of musquets, carabines, and pistols.

RODS, or sticks, fastened to sky-rockets, to make them rise in a straight line.

RODOMONT, Fr. A bully. An unmilitary character.

Raire le RODOMONT, Fr. To bully, to talk loudly without possessing the real spirit of a man or soldier.

RODOMONTADE, Fr. Rodomontade. The act of bullying, vain boasting or arrogating to ourselves qualities which we do not possess. A French writer has very justly observed, that there cannot be a greater defect in the character of an officer than an overweening display of real or fictitious talents. The word is derived from one Rodomont, the hero or principal character in an old romance, who makes himself conspicuously ridiculous in this way. Sir John Falstaff and Bobadil in English comedy, are specimens of this character.

ROGUE’S March. See MARCH.

ROHILLAS, Ind. A tribe of Afghans inhabiting the country north of the Ganges, as tar as Oude to the eastward.

ROI, Fr. King.

ROI d’armes, Fr. See KING AT ARMS.

ROKER, Ind. Cash.

ROLE, Fr. A muster roll, state, or return. The word Role is used among the French indiscriminately, to signify either the effective force of an army, or the actual quantify of stores and ammunition which the magazines contain.

To ROLL in duty, is when officers of the same rank take their turns upon duty pursuant to some established roster, as captains with captains, and subalterns with subalterns, and command according to the seniority of their commissions.

To ROLL. To continue one uniform beat of the drum, without variations, for a certain length of time. When a line is advancing in full front, or in echellons, for any considerable distance, the music of one regulating battalion may, at intervals, be permitted to play for a few seconds at a time, and the drums of the other battalions may be allowed occasionally to roll; drums, likewise roll when troops are advancing to the charge.