Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 20.djvu/559

Rh R I C R I C 539 clatures seem to point to a great antiquity in the culture of this cereal. Rice constitutes one of the most important articles of food in all tropical and subtropical countries, and is one of the most prolific of all crops. The rice yields best on low lands subject to occasional inundations, and thus enriched by alluvial deposits. An abundant rainfall during the growing season is also a desideratum. Rice is sown broadcast, and in some districts is transplanted after a fort- night or three weeks. No special rotation is followed ; indeed the soil best suited for rice is ill adapted for any other crop. In some cases little manure is employed, but in others abundance of manure is used. No special tillage is required, but weeding and irrigation are requisite. Rice in the husk is known as "paddy." On cut- ting across a grain of rice and examining it under the microscope, first the flattened and dried cells of the husk are seen, and then one or two layers of cells elongated in a direction parallel to the length of the seed, Avhich contain the gluten or nitrogenous matter. Within these, and forming by far the largest part of the seed, are large polygonal cells filled with very numerous and very minute angular starch grains. Rice is not so valuable as a food as some other cereals, inasmuch as the proportion of nitrogenous matter (gluten) is less. Payen gives only 7 per cent, of gluten in rice as compared with 22 per cent, in the finest wheat, 14 in oats, and 12 in maize. The percentage of potash in the ash is as 18 to 23 in wheat. The fatty matter is also less in proportion than in other cereals. Rice, therefore, is chiefly a farinaceous food, and requires to be combined with fatty and nitrogenous sub- stances, such as milk or meat gravy, to satisfy the requirements of the system. The imports of rice into the United Kingdom range from 7,000,000 cwt. to 8,000,000 cwt. annually, having an estimated value of, from 3,000,000 to 3,500,000. Nearly the whole of this comes from British Burmah and Bengal. A large proportion of the rice brought to Europe is used for starch-making, and some is taken by distillers of alcohol. Rice is also the source of a drinking spirit in India, and the national beverage of Japan sake is pre- pared entirely from the fermented grain. KICE PAPER. The substance which has received this name in Europe, through the mistaken notion that it is made from rice, consists of the pith of a small tree Aralia papyri/era cut into thin slices. The tree grows in the swampy forests of Formosa and apparently nowhere else, and large quantities of the stems are conveyed to Chin- chew, where the snow-white delicate pith is carefully sliced by spiral cuts into uniform sheets of a fine ivory-like texture. It is dyed various colours, and extensively used for the preparation of artificial flowers, while the white sheets are employed by native artists for water-colour drawings. RICH, CLAUDIUS JAMES (1787-1821), Eastern traveller and scholar, was born near Dijon, March 28, 1787. While still an infant he was taken to Bristol, where he spent his youth. At a very early age he developed a wonderful capacity for the acquisition of languages, soon becoming familiar not only with Latin and Greek but also with Hebrew, Syriac, Persian, Turkish, and other Eastern tongues. His unusual intelligence and extraordi- nary acquirements in Oriental languages procured for him in 1803 a nomination to a writership in the Bombay establishment of the East India Company. In 1804 Rich proceeded to Constantinople, where, and at Smyrna, he stayed a considerable time, perfecting himself in the Turkish language. Proceeding to Alexandria as assistant to the British consul-general there, he devoted himself to Arabic and its various dialects, and made himself master of Eastern manners and usages. On leaving Egypt he proceeded by land to the Persian Gulf, disguised as a Mameluke, visiting Damascus, and entering the great mosque undetected. At Bombay, which he reached in September 1807, he was the guest of Sir James Mack- intosh, whose eldest daughter he married in January 1808, proceeding soon after to Baghdad as resident. While gaining the respect of Turks of all classes, as well as of Europeans, he now began his investiga- tions into the geography, history, and antiquities of the vastly interesting region in the midst of which he was placed, the results of which give him a high place among Eastern students. He made collections of all kinds, visited and examined the remains of Babylon, and projected a geographical and statistical account of the pashalic of Baghdad. The results of his investigations at Babylon appeared first in the Vienna serial the Mines de I' Orient, and in 1811 in England, under the title Narra- tive of a Journey to the Site of Babylon in 1811. In 1839 this was republished by his widow, with Major Rennell's remarks upon it, and a second memoir by Rich in reference to these remarks, together with the narrative of a journey to Persepolis. In 1813-14 Rich spent some time in Europe, and on his return to Baghdad paid special atten- tion to the geography of Asia Minor, and collected much information in Syrian and Chaldsean convents concerning the Yezzidis. He continued, too, to collect manuscripts of all kinds, his collections being probably the most extensive and valuable brought together by any private person up to that time. His collection of coins Greek, Parthian, Sasanian, and Moslem as well as of gems and engraved stones, was much, enlarged. During this period he made a second excursion to Babylon, and in 1820 he undertook an extensive tour to Kurdistan from Baghdad north to Sulimania, eastward to Sinna, then west to Nineveh, and thence down the Tigris to Baghdad. The narrative of this journey, which for the first time furnished accurate know- ledge (from scientific observation) regarding the topography and geography of the region traversed, was published by his widow in 1836. It abounds with information on the country and the people, their history and traditions, the ruins and inscriptions met with, characterized by the pro- fundity and thoroughness of the real scholar and trained observer. He visited many of the ancient Christian churches in Chaldsea, adding largely to his stock of manu- scripts, including ancient Syrian and Chaldaean versions of the Scriptures. In 1821 Rich went to Basora, whence he made an excursion to Shiraz, visiting the ruins of Per- sepolis and the other remains of antiquity in the neighbour- hood. An account of these excursions is given in the post- humous publication referred to, which also contains many notes on Rich's collections and minor excursions as well as a brief memoir. At Shiraz he was struck down by cholera on October 5, 1821. His early death was a vast loss to Oriental investigation. The work he did accomplish was of great value for Eastern archaeology and history. RICHARD I. (1157-1199), king of England, called even before his death " the Lion" or " Coeur de Lion," was the third son of Henry II. and Eleanor of Aquitaine. He was born, probably at Oxford, on September 8, 1157. When little more than eleven years old he was invested with the duchy of Aquitaine, and imbibed in southern France the spirit of the adventurer and the troubadour which characterized him through life. In 1173 he joined the league against Henry II., but when the rebellion was suppressed in 117i he was pardoned by his father. Shortly afterwards he was affianced to Alice, the daughter of Louis VII. The death of his brother Henry in 1184 made Richard heir to the throne. From this time he was the centre of the disturbances which troubled the last five years of Henry II. 's reign. The pretext for his quarrel with his father was the refusal of the latter to allow the barons to do fealty to Richard as heir, and Henry's wish to transfer Aquitaine to his younger son John. War was for some time averted by the preparations for the third crusade, and Richard himself took the cross (1187). Next year, however, a quarrel between Richard and his neighbour the count of Toulouse led to the final breach. Philip, king of France, took advantage of this quarrel to invade Berri, whence he was driven out again by Richard, who so far was acting in concert with his father. A truce