RATNAGIRI, rŭt′nȧ-gē′rē̇. A district in the Territory of Concan (q.v.), British India.
RATON, rȧ-tōn′. A city and the county-seat of Colfax County, N. M., seven miles south of the northern boundary of the Territory, and 22 miles south of Trinidad, Colo.; on the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad (Map: New Mexico, F 1). It is the centre of a stock-raising and farming region, which is also noted for its extensive coal deposits. There are large railroad repair shops here, the city being a division terminal of the Santa Fe line. Population, in 1890, 1255; in 1900, 3540.
RAT PORTAGE. A port of entry in Ontario, Canada, picturesquely situated on the Lake of the Woods at its outlet, and on the Canadian Pacific Railway, 133 miles east of Winnipeg (Map: Canada, M 7). The Winnipeg River here falls about 20 feet, affording good water power. There are several flour and saw mills; also reduction works. The town has become of considerable commercial importance, owing to the development of the gold-mining district in the vicinity. Population, in 1891, 1806; in 1901, 5202.
RATRAM′NUS (sometimes incorrectly called Bertram, or Bertramus). An Aquitanian monk and theologian of the early ninth century, connected with the Monastery of Corbie, Picardy. He wrote a famous treatise, De Corpore et Sanguine Domini, a defense of the purely symbolical theory as to the Eucharist. In 1526 the work was brought into prominence through its being quoted by Bishop Fisher, of Rochester, as an exposition of the Roman Catholic doctrine regarding the Eucharist. Reprinted in 1527 at Cologne, it was much read by Protestants, and was placed on the Index by the Council of Trent. Subsequently it was defended within the Roman Catholic Church by Sainte-Beuve and Jacques Boileau. Ratramus also wrote Contra Græcorum Opposita, in defense of the whole system of Western dogma. The collected works may be found in Migne's Patrologia Latina, cxxi. (Paris, 1844-64).
RATTAN, RATAN, or ROTTANG (Fr. rotin, rotang, from Malay rotan, rattan). Calamus. A genus of about 200 species of mostly East Indian palms with reed-like, slender, often jointed stems sometimes several hundred feet long. A few species are found in Africa and Australia. The name rattan is extended to other similar palms of the same tribe although placed by botanists in different genera. The stem, which is very smooth, hard, and siliceous externally, is either erect, or ascends by means of hooked prickles at the extremities of the midribs of its leaves. It then descends in graceful festoons and may climb neighboring trees. All the species are useful, being much employed in their native countries for making bridges, plaited work, chair bottoms, rope, and so on, and are very largely exported, generally under the name of cane, for similar purposes. Calamus Rotang and Calamus rudentium, occurring in India, Burma, and Ceylon, are among the most useful species. The walking sticks called Malacca canes are believed to be the produce of Calamus Scipionum; the plant, however, does not grow in Malacca, but in Sumatra. The fruit of some species of rattan is used as food, and the young shoots, variously prepared, are used as vegetables. A very fine kind of dragon's blood (q.v.) is obtained from a species of rattan (Calamus Draco or Dæmonorops Draco), and particularly from the fruit, on the surface of which it appears as a resinous exudation. Calamus acanthospathus is one of the hardiest species, occurring as it does at elevations of 6000 feet in the Himalayas.
RATTANY. See Rhatany.
RATTAZZI, rȧt-tät′sē̇, Mme. de Solms-Rattazzi-de Rute. See Bonaparte, Letitia Marie Wyse.
RATTAZZI, Urbano (1808-73). An Italian statesman, born at Alessandria, Piedmont. He studied law at Turin and became an advocate at Casale. In 1848 he was elected a member of the Sardinian Parliament, and after sitting in the Casati Cabinet was called into the Ministry of Gioberti. He was one of those who urged Charles Albert into a continuance of the war with Austria in 1849, and after the defeat of Novara he was obliged to retire from the Ministry. He became the leader of the Left Centre, or Moderate Radical Party. In 1851, when Napoleon's coup d'état complicated foreign relations, an alliance was concluded between Cavour and Rattazzi, who had hitherto been opponents. Rattazzi took the portfolio of Justice in 1853, and subsequently that of the Interior in the Cavour Ministry. He disagreed with Cavour on the French alliance and retired from the Cabinet in 1858, but returned upon Cavour's resignation after the Peace of Villafranca. He was opposed to the surrender of Savoy and Nice to France, and he again retired in 1860. In March, 1862, after the failure of Ricasoli's Ministry, he was intrusted with the formation of a new Cabinet, but resigned after a few months. He returned to office in 1867, but his ambiguous attitude regarding Garibaldi's expedition against Rome in that year led to the downfall of his Ministry in October. He died at Frosinone. Consult: Lettres inédites du comte de Cavour an Commandeur Urbain Rattazzi (Paris, 1862); S. G., Urbano Rattazzi (Turin, 1861); De Rute, Rattazzi et son temps (Paris, 1881-87). An edition of his speeches, edited by Scovazzi, was published at Rome (8 vols., 1876-80).
RAT′TIGAN, Sir William Henry (1842-1904). An English lawyer, born in Delhi. He was educated at the High School, Agra, and at King's College, London, and was entered at the bar in 1873. He was additional member of the Supreme Legislative Council of India from 1892 until 1893, and member of the Punjab Legislative Council from 1898 until 1899, and at different times was Judge of the Chief Court of the Punjab. He was knighted in 1895, and was returned to Parliament as member for Northeast Lanarks in 1901. His works include: The Science of Jurisprudence (3d ed. 1892); Private International Law (1895); Digest of Customary Law for Punjab (6th ed. 1901); and De Jure Personarum, or the Roman Law of Persons (1873).
RATTLE-POD. A species of Crotalaria (q.v.).
RATTLESNAKE. An American venomous serpent of the family Viperidæ and subfamily Crotalinæ, distinguished from its congeners by a horny jointed appendage terminating the tail, the shaking of which causes a rattling noise likened to that of the ancient castanets or crotali.
