Page images
PDF
EPUB

Fåte, får, fåll, fât; mẻ, mit; plne or pine, pin; nỏ, nôt; ŏõ as in good;

Cuzco, koos/-ko, an ancient t. of S. America, in Peru, about 250 m. from the coast of the Pacific. Before the arrival of the Spaniards, it was the cap. of the extensive empire of the Incas, and is said to have been built by the founder of the empire, Manco Capac, in the 10th or 11th century of our era. Upon a lofty hill, a little N. of the city, are the ruins of a great fortress erected by the Incas, for the protection of their capital. Many parts of it are still in a state of perfect preservation. They consist of stones of extraordinary size, placed one upon another, without cement, but fitted with such nicety as not to admit the insertion of a knife between them. It would appear that Cuzco exceeds Arequipa in population, though some of the most respectable geographers call the latter the second town of Peru. It is the seat of a university. Lat. 13° 33′ S., Lon. 72° 4′ W. Pop. above 40,000. (P. C.)

CYPRUS, (Gr. Kunços; Turk, Kib`-ris,) a large i. in the Mediterranean, situated near the coasts of Syria and Asia Minor, between 34° 32′ and 35° 44′ N. Lat., and 32° 16′ and 34° 41′ E. Lon. Its length is about 140 m.; its greatest breadth about 56 m. In 1571, Cyprus was wrested from the Venetians by the Turks, in whose possession it has remained ever since. Two-thirds of the inhabitants are Christians, who are cruelly oppressed by their Turkish masters; under whom, Cyprus, from being one of the most fertile and beautiful spots in the world, has been converted almost into a desert. Pop. estimated at above 60,000. (E. G.)-Adj. and inhab. CYP-RI-AN and CYP-RI-OT. The former should be employed only when ancient Cyprus is referred to. CZERNIGOW. See TCHERNIGOF.

CZERNOWICE, cher`-no-vit-sh, or TSCHERNOWITZ (cher/-no-Wits, sometimes improperly written Czernorvicz), a t. of Austrian Galicia, cap. of a circle of the same name, on the Pruth. Lat. 48° 15′ N., Lon. 26° 10′ E. Pop. about 7,300. (P. C.)

CZIRKNICZ OF ZIRKNITZ, těĕrk'-nits, a small t. of Illyria, near a lake of the same name about 20 m. in circumference, and intersected by the parallel of 45° 45' N. Lat., and the meridian of 14° 23′ E. Lon. This lake is remarkable for the great variation in the height of its waters. The bottom, which is formed of limestone rock, is full of clefts and fissures, through which the water passes at about forty different openings, into subterraneous channels and caverns, and goes to supply the neighbouring streams. Frequently, during the dry season, the bottom of the lake is covered with luxuriant herbage, which is made into hay. Some parts are sown with millet and buckwheat. The depth of the Lake of Czirknicz, in the deepest part, is only about 56 ft. In Jan., 1834, the waters left the lake, and did not return till March, 1835; an occurrence which, for the long cessation of the waters, is said to be unprecedented.

DAC-CA, a large manufacturing t. of Hindostan, formerly the cap. of Bengal, on a branch of the Ganges, called Booree Gunga or Old Ganges. Lat. 23° 44' N., Lon. 90° 29′ E. Pop. estimated by Hamilton

ou, as in our; th, as in thin; TH, as in this; N, nearly like ng. at 200,000; but the Missionary Register, of 1828, states it at 150,000. (B.)

DADE, a co. forming the N. W. extremity of Ga. Pop. 1,364. DADE, a co. occupying the S. E. extremity of Florida. Pop. 446. DADE, a co. in the S. W. part of Mo., a little S. of the Osage r. DAHOMEY OF DAHOMAY, dah/-HO-må,* a celebrated and formerly powerful kingdom of W. Africa, situated inland from that part of the coast of Guinea called the Slave Coast. It is separated from the kingdom of Ashantee on the W. by the r. Volta.-Adj. and inhab. DAH/-O-MAN. DAHL, dål, a r. of Sweden, which flows into the Gulf of Bothnia, in Lat. about 60° 40′ N.

DALE, a co. in the S. E. part of Ala., bordering on Florida: Pop. 7,397. Seat of justice, Dale c. h.

DALECARLIA, då-le-kar'-le-å, or DALARNE, då-lar-nà, a prov. of Sweden, lying between 60° 55′ and 62° 12' N. Lat., and bordering on Norway. (P. C.) — Adj. DAL-E-CAR-LI-AN, inhab. DALECarlian, Dal'-eCARL'.

DAL-LAS, a co. in the S. central part of Ala., intersected by the Alabama r. Pop. 25,199. Co. t. Cahawba.

DALMATIA, dal-må/-she-a, a kingdom belonging to the crown of Austria, situated between 42° and 45° N. Lat., and 14° 30′ and 19° E. Lon. ; bounded on the N. by Hungary, N. E. and E. by Tarkey, and S. W. by the Adriatic. The area is estimated at 5,098 sq. m. Pop. 320,000. (P. C.) Zara is the seat of government.—Adj. and inhab. DALMATIAN, dal-má/-she-an.

DAL-TON, a small t. of England, in Lancashire, about 18 m. W.N.W. of Lancaster.

DA-MAS'-CUS, (Arab. Shâm-el-Kebeer, i. e. Damascus the Great,) a celebrated city of Syria, cap. of a pashalic of the same name, situated in the fertile plain at the E. base of that chain of mountains called the Antilibanus Mountains, about 190 m. S. by W. from Aleppo. It is one of the most ancient towns in the world, having existed in the time of Abraham (Gen. xiv. and xv.). Besides the title of kebeer (great), that of sher-eef (venerable or holy) is sometimes given to it. Its ancient name was Damesk. Damascus is celebrated for the number of its orchards, and the abundance of exquisite fruits which they produce; whence the Arabs regard it as one of their four terrestrial paradises.

* "Rash adventurer, bear thee back,
Dread the spell of DAHOMAY,

Fear the race of Zaharak,

Daughters of the burning day."

Scorr's Bridal af Triermain, Canto III.

This, as we are informed, corresponds to the native accentuation.

+ In this and similar cases, the article el is changed in sound to es, so as to correspond with the initial letter of the word to which it is prefixed; accordingly, Sham-el-Shereef is to be pronounced sham-es-shereef. When Sham is used to designate the country of Syria, the article is usually employed, e. g., El Sham, pronounced es-sham.

Fåte, får, fåll, fåt; mẻ, mět; pine or pine, pin; nỏ, nôt; õõ, as in good; The streets are well paved and furnished with foot-walks on each side. The houses, though plain externally, being built of earth or of brick, often exhibit great magnificence within, and nearly all of them are refreshed by fountains. Damascus is the residence of a Greek patriarch. Lat. 33° 33′ N.; Lon. 36° 20′ E. Pop. estimated at above 140,000. (B.)-Adj. and inhab. DAM-AS-CENE! (Arab. Sha-mee).

DAM-I-ET-TA, (Arab. Då-mд-åt/ or Dum-yåt,) a t. of Lower Egypt, on the right bank of one of the principal branches of the Nile, about 6 m. above its mouth. The name is derived from Thamiatis, which was a small town under the Byzantine emperors. After the conquest of the Saracens, it was surrounded with strong walls, and became one of the most commercial and wealthy towns of Egypt. It was thrice taken by the Christians in the middle ages, (once by Roger, of Sicily, and twice by the crusaders,) and as often recovered. At last, to prevent any other attacks from this quarter, the sultans of Egypt razed it to the ground and removed the inhabitants about 4 m. further inland. Hence arose New Damietta. This place, though much decayed, is one of the best built towns in Egypt; and its manufactures and commerce are still considerable. Lat. 31° 26' N., Lon. 31° 50′ E. The pop. is estimated by Balbi at about 20,000, though many others make it much higher.

DAM'-PIER'S BAY or SHARK BAY is situated on the W. coast of New Holland, near 25° S. Lat., and 114° E. Lon.

DANBURY, dan/-ber-re, a t. of Conn., in Fairfield co., 29 m. in a straight line W. by N. of New Haven, noted for its manufacture of hats. Pop. of the township, 4,311.

DANE, a co. in the S. part of Wisconsin, bordering on Wisconsin r. Pop. 3,114.

DANTI-ZIC, (Ger. Danzig, dånt-sig; Polish, Gdansk,) a city of Prussia, the cap. of a large circle of the same name, situated on the left bank of the principal arm of the Vistula, about 34 m. from the shores of the Baltic. Dantzic is the seat of a number of literary and scientific institutions, among which we may mention the academical gymnasium, with seven professors, and the public library, which contains 30,000 vols. Its manufactures are considerable. It is one of the strongest fortresses, and is the first emporium of maritime commerce, in the Prussian dominions. Lat. 54° 21′ N., Lon. 18° 38′ E. Pop. above 62,000. (B.)

DAN-UBE OF DAN'-Aw, (Gr. Istpos; Lat. Danubius and Ister; Ger. Donau, do'-nou; Hung. Duna, doo-noh ;) a large r. of Europe, second only to the Volga. It originates on the E. declivity of the Bla' Forest (Schwarzwald), about 24 m. from the banks of the Rhine, in 48° 6' N. Lat., and 8° 9' E., at an elevation of near 3000 ft. above the level of the sea. Its general course, to near Waitzen, in Hungary, is easterly; from Waitzen to the influx of the Drave (Lat. 45° 33′ N., Lon. 18° 58' E.) it is almost due S.; thence nearly E. by S. till it reaches the 28th degree of E. Lon., where it suddenly changes its direction to the N., and, after a course of about 90 m., again flows easterly and empties

ou, as in our; th, as in thin; TH, as in this; N, nearly like ng. itself into the Black Sea, by several mouths. Its whole course is estimated at about 1,770 m. It is navigable for large ships as far as Silistria; but there are rapids near New Orsova, where it leaves the Austrian dominions, which it is impossible for any vessel to ascend, although those drawing not more than 24 ft. water may sometimes descend. The navigation is also impeded in the upper part of its course, by a great number of rocks, and, lower down, by sand banks. This river is remarkable for its winding course and for the multitude of its islands. The Danube"-" winds from realm to realm, And like a serpent shows his glittering back, Bespotted with innumerable isles."

WORDSWORTH's Excursion, Book VII.

DAR-DAN-ELLES. The Dardanelles are fortifications erected on each side of the Hellespont, which is called, from them, the Strait of the Dardanelles. These fortifications originally consisted of four castles, two on each side of the strait, but, since the beginning of the present century, they have been improved and increased in number. Some of the guns are very large; one of them takes, for a single charge, 330 lbs. of powder. The name Dardanelles is in all probability derived from Dardanus or Dardania, an ancient town near the Hellespont, built by Dardanus, the ancestor of Priam.

THE STRAIT OF THE DARDANELLES or HEL-LES-PONT', which connects the Sea of Marmora with the Egean Sea, is above 50 m. in length, and from 2 to 10 m. in breadth.

DAR-FOOR' (Darfur), a country of central Africa, situated between 10° and 16° N. Lat., and between 26° and 30° E. Lon. Its extent and real boundaries are very imperfectly known. It may be considered as a large oasis, lying in the S. E. part of Sahara. FOOR appears to be the proper name, as dar, in the native language, signifies country in gene. ral. DARFOOR, however, seems to be established by universal usage.The inhabitants are negroes; in religion they are Mahometans. The government is a despotism. Cobbe is the capital, and has a pop. of about 6,000. (B.)—Inhab. FOOR/-I-AN (Furian).

DARIEN (d-re-en), GULF OF, the most southern portion of the Caribbean Sea, between 7° 56′ and 10° N. Lat., and 76° and 78° W. Lon. DARIEN, a small but flourishing t. and port of entry of Ga., cap. of McIntosh co., on the N. side of the Altamaha, about 12 m. from the sea.

DARIEN, ISTHMUS of. See PANAMA.

DARKE, a co. in the W. part of Ohio, bordering on Ind. Pop. 13,282. Co. t. Greenville.

DAR-LING-TON, a t. of England, in the co. of Durham, 17 m. S. of Durham. Pop. including the hamlet of Oxneyfield, 11,033.

DARLINGTON, a dist. in the N. E. part of S. C., W. of, and bordering on the Great Pedee r. Pop. 14,822. Seat of justice, Darlington c. h. DARMSTADT, daRm/-stått, a walled t. of Germany, the cap. of the grandduchy of Hesse and of the prov. of Starkenburg, is situated on the

Fåte, får, fåll, fât; mẻ, met; pine or pine, pin; nò, nôt; Ŏõ as in good; banks of the small r. Darm. It contains a number of institutions for education, and a library of about 100,000 vols. Lat. 49° 56' N., Lon. 8° 35' E. Balbi gives about 20,000 for its pop., but the P. C. states it at 24,500.

DART-MOUTH, a seaport t. of England, in Devonshire, situated on the coast at the mouth of the r. Dart, 30 m. S. by W. from Exeter. Pop. 4,417.

DAR-WAR', a fortified t. of Hindostan, in Bejapoor, cap. of a dist. of the same name. Lat. 15° 28' N., Lon. 75° 8' E.

DAU-PHIN, a co. in the S. E. central part of Pa., bordering on the Susquehanna r. Pop. 30,118. Co. t. Harrisburg.

DAUPHINE, do`-fe`-nå, formerly a prov. of France, bordering on the S. E. frontier. It now forms the three deps., Isère, Drôme, and the Upper Alps.

DAVIDS, ST., an ancient city of Wales, in the W. extremity of Pembrokeshire, situated near a rocky promontory, called St. David's Head, 21 m. N. W. of Pembroke. It was once large and populous, but it now presents the appearance of a poor village.

Dal-VID-SON, a co. in the W. central part of N. C., bordering on the Yadkin. Pop. 14,606. Co. t. Lexington.

DAVIDSON, a co. in the N. N. W. part of Tenn., intersected by the Cumberland r. Pop. 30,509. Co. t. Nashville.

DA-VIE, a co. in the N. W. central part of N. C., on the Yadkin. Pop. 7,574. Co. t. Mocksville.

DA-VIESS, a co. in the N. W. part of Ky., bordering on the Ohio and Green rivers. Pop. 8,331. Co. t. Owensborough.

DAVIESS, a co. in the S. W. part of Ind., between the E. and W. forks of the White r. Pop. 6,720. Co. t. Washington.

DAVIESS, a co. in the N. W. part of Mo., intersected by a branch of the Grand r. Pop. 2,736. Co. t. Gallatin.

DA-VIS'S STRAIT, between Greenland, on the E., and Cumberland Island, on the W., unites Baffin's Bay with the Atlantic. In the narrowest part it is about 200 m. wide.

[ocr errors]

Dax, dảx, (Anc. A'quæ Augus/tæ,) a t. of France, in the dep. of Landes, on the Adour, celebrated for its warm springs, the temperature of which is above 180° Fahrenheit; but they appear to possess no medicinal virtues. They are sometimes used for washing clothes. In the middle ages the town was called Civitas Akensis or Aquensis; i. e. the "city of Aqua," whence the French Ville d'Acqs (town of Acqs), or simply d'Acqs, d'Ax, or Dax. Lat. 43° 43′ N., Lon. 1° 4' W. Pop. 4,776. (M.)

DAY-TON, a t. of Ohio, the cap. of Montgomery co., situated on the Miami r., 46 m., in a direct line, N. by E. of Cincinnati. Pop. 6,067.

DEAD SEA (Anc. La'cus Asphalti/tes; Arab. Båhr Loot; i. e. the "Sea of Lot"); is situated in Palestine, between 31° 8' and 31° 47' 30" N. Lat., and 35° 25′ and 35° 38′ 30′′ E. Lon. Its length is about 45 m.; its greatest breadth 12 m. The towns of Sodom and Gomorrha are said to have been on its western bank, where some few ruins occur.

« ՆախորդըՇարունակել »