RANDOLPH-MACON SYSTEM 428 BANK RANDOLPH-MACON SYSTEM OP COLLEGES AND ACADEMIES, a group of five colleges and preparatory schools, under the Methodist Church, located in the State of Virginia. There is a col- lege for men, the Randolph-Macon Col- lege, which has two preparatory schools leading up to it, viz.: the Randolph- Macon Academy at Bedford City, Va., and the Randolph-Macon Academy at Front Royal, Va. The_ system is de- signed to avoid loss of time and to bet- ter correlate the work of the preparatory school with the college. The college for men was founded before the Civil War, but closed during that struggle to re- open at its present location, Ashland, Va. In 1914-1915 the faculty consisted of 15 professors, and the student body numbered 190. The Randolph-Macon Womens' College is situated at Lynchburg, Va., and its preparatory school is the Randolph- Macon Institute at Danville, Va. ,The college has attained a high position among the leading higher educational in- stitutions for women, and has been more successful in securing students than the men's college. The enrollment of 1914- 1915 amounted to more than 600 stu- dents, with a faculty of 45 instructors. RANELAGH, a building erected in 1742 on the site of the gardens of a villa of the last Earl of Ranelagh at Chelsea, London, England. Its rotunda was 150 feet in diameter, with an orchestra in the center and tiers of boxes all round. The chief amusement, promenading, as it was called, was going round and round the area below, and taking refreshments in the boxes, the orchestra performing meanwhile. Ranelagh was a fashionable and notorious place of resort in 1740- 1803. Its last public appearance was when the installation ball of the Knights of the Bath was given there in 1802. This building was closed the next year and torn dov^Ti. Its site is now part of the Chelsea Hospital garden. RANGE, in gunnery: (1) The hori- zontal distance to which a projectile is throwTi. Strictly, it is the distance frona the muzzle of the gun to the second in- tersection of the trajectory vnth the line of sight. A cannon lying horizontally is called the right level or point-blank range; when the muzzle is elevated to 45° it is called the utmost level. (2) A place where gun or rifle practice is carried on. In music, the whole ascend- ing or descending series of sounds capa- ble of being produced by a voice or in- strument; the compass or register of a voice or instrument. In natural science, the geographical limits vdthin which an animal or plant is now distributed, au'd the limits in point of time within which it has existed on the globe. The first is called range in space, and the second range in time. As a nautical term: (1) A length of cable a little in excess of the depth of water, ranged on deck ready to run out when the anchor is let go. (2) A large cleat in the waist for belaying the sheets and tacks of the courses. RANGER, HENRY WARD, an Amer- ican landscape painter. He was bora in 1858 in western New York. He developed his technique by the study of his art in the galleries of Europe, and speedily eliminated the faults of his earlier work till he came to be looked upon as the leader of the tonal school among painters of American landscapes. "Spring Woods" in the Metropolitan Museum, New York; "Sheep Pastures" in the Pennsylvania Academy; and "Top of the Hill" in Corcoran Gallery, Wash- ington, are among the best examples of his art. He is represented in other American museums, received gold med- als at Charleston and Philadelphia, and in 1906 became National Academician. He died in 1916. RANGOON, the capital of Lower Burma, and the chief seaport of Burma, at the junction of the Pegu, Hlaing or Rangoon, and Pu-zun-doung rirers; about 21 miles from the sea. Since its occupancy by the British in 1852 Ran- goon has undergone such changes that it is practically a new town. The princi- pal streets are broad, and contain many large and not a few handsome buildings. There are the law courts, post-offices, Bank of Bengal, custom house, Angli- can and Roman Catholic churches, St. John's College, high school, etc. A large and increasing commerce is carried on with British, Indian, and Chinese ports; and an extensive trade is conducted with inland towns as far as Mandalay. The chief exports are rice, timber, cotton, hides, gums and resin, mineral oil, ivory, precious stones. Pop. about 300,000. RANJIT SINGH, the founder of the Sikh kingdom in the Punjab, India ; born in Gujranwala, Nov. 2, 1780. He was the son of a Sikh chief. After the Shah of Afghanistan had given him the prov- ince of Lahore, he directed all his ener- gies to the founding of a kingdom which should unite all the Sikh provinces un- der his own personal rule. He procured from an Afghan prince, as the price of his assistance in war, the famous Koh-i- nur diamond (see Diamond). He died June 27, 1839. RANK, a line of soldiers standing abi'east or side by side; often used along with "file," which is a line running from
