Page:Collier's New Encyclopedia v. 08.djvu/114

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RODNEY 88 HOE 1915 to 1916 he was in command of the "New York," and from 1916 to 1917 he was a member of the general board of the Navy Department. During the World War he was successively in command of division 3, Atlantic Fleet; squadron 1, Battleship force, Atlantic Fleet; division REAR-ADMIRAL HUGH RODMAN 3, Battleship force 1, Atlantic Fleet; division 9, Battleship force, on duty with British Grand Fleet; and of United States battleships. He was a director of the Panama Railroad Co. He received the Battle of Manila Bay and Spanish- American War medals, the D. S. medal, and from Great Britain, the K. C. B., for services in the World War. RODNEY, C2ESAR, an American pa- triot; born in Dover, Del., Oct. 7, 1728. In 1755 he was made sheriff of Kent co., Del., and at the expiration of his term became justice of the peace and judge of all the lower courts. In 1765 he was a delegate to the Stamp Act Congress in New York. In 1767, when the tea act was proposed in the British Parliament, the Delaware Assembly appointed him to aid in the formulation of an address of remonstrance to the king. In 1775 he was elected for a second time to the Continental Congress, and in May of that year became Brigadier-General of the Delaware militia. He served with dis- tinction during the Revolutionary War under Washington, becoming, in 1777, a Major-General. He was elected president of Delaware, in which office he served till 1782, when he was re-elected to Con- gress, but did not take his seat because of illness. As a public man he displayed great integrity and elevation of char- acter. He died in Dover, Del., June 29, 1784. RODNEY, GEORGE BRYDGES, LORD, an English naval officer; born in Walton-upon-Thames, England, Feb. 19, 1718. He was created rear-admiral in 1759, and distinguished himself in several expeditions. In 1780 he defeated the Spanish fleet and took several ships. This was followed soon after by a more splen- did victory, and the capture of the Span- ish admiral, Don Juan de Langara. But the most important achievement of this brave admiral was the defeat of the French fleet under Count de Grasse in the West Indies in 1782, when the French admiral and a number of his ships were taken. He died in London, May 24, 1792. RODRIGUEZ, or RODRIGTJES, a hilly volcanic island (1,760 feet), 13 miles long by 7 broad, 370 miles E. by N. of Mauritius, of which it is a dependency. Rodriguez is a cable station. The soil is fertile, and agriculture is the chief occupation. Hurricanes often cause great damage to the island, which is encircled by a coral reef. It was discovered by the Portuguese in 1645, and has been a British colony since 1810. The chief port is Port Mathurin. Owing to its isolation this island is particularly interesting to the botanist and the zoologist. Till near the close of the 17th century it was the home of the solitaire, now an extinct bird. ROE (Capreolus caprea), a small species of deer inhabiting Europe and some parts of western Asia, chiefly in hilly or mountainous regions. It is sel- dom found in the higher and more naked mountain tracts, the haunt of the stag or red deer. It was once plentiful in Wales and in the hilly parts of England, as well as in the S. of Scotland, but is now very rare S. of Perthshire. The roe is about 2 feet 3 inches in height at the shoulder. Its weight is about 50 or 60 pounds. Its color is a shining tawny- brown in summer, more dull and grizzled in winter. The tail is very short, con- cealed among the hair. The antlers, which are peculiar to the male or roe- buck, are eight or nine inches long, erect, round, very rough, longitudinally fur- rowed; having, in mature animals, two or three tines or branches, which, as well as the tip of the horn, are sharp-pointed, so that the antlers form very dangerous