olenty of poultry of all sorts, swans, woodcocks,
pheasants, partridges, fieldfares, &c. The prin-
cipal towns ort* the coast are Lyme Regis, Mel-
combe Regis, Weymouth, Bridport, Wareham,
and Poole ; at the two latter some ships are built,
and some foreign trade carried on ; and Poole
was formerly celebrated for its extensive interest
in the Newfoundland fishery ; and considerable
manufactures of cordage, twine, and coarse wool-
ens were formerly carried on in the vicinity of
Bridport and Poole. The commercial and
manufacturing concerns of the county have of
late years declined and are now, relatively, in-
significant, the shipping being principally em-
ployed in carrying, and the rental, taxes, and sup-
ply of shop goods for the consumption of the
county, are now paid out of the surplus produce
of sheep and lambs for the London market, some
cattle, wool, and stone, from the quarries of
Portland, and Purbeck, and freight of shipping.
Some trifling manufactures also contribute to con-
stitute an exchange ; and the W. part of the coast
abounds in mackerel during the season. The prin-
cipal towns in the interior are Dorchester (the
capital), Corfe castle, and Shaftesbury, each of
which, as well as each of those on the coast, and
the county, return two members to parliament.
There are 13 other market towns, and upwards
of 200 villages in this County.

Dorsettsville, p.v. Chatham Co. N. C.

Dorsten, a fortified town of Westphalia, in the
county of Recklinghausen, seated on the Lippe,
15 m. E. by N. ofWegel.

Dort, or Dordrecht, a city of South Holland on
an island formed by the Meuse, which is here
called the Merwe. The island was formed in
1421, in November of which year an inundation
destroyed 72 villages and drowned 100,000 per-
sons. In 1457 Dort was nearly destroyed by fire,
and is further celebrated for an assembly of pro-
testant clergy from all parts of Europe, in 1618
xe2x80x941619 called the synod of Dort, which condemn-
ed the tenets of Arminius. Here are several Lu-
theran and Calvinist churches, a fine council-
house an excellent academy, and the mint of
South Holland. It has a good harbour, and a
great trade in corn, wine, and timber; of the
fatter immense rafts are floated hither from An-
eternach, in Germany. It was formerly the chief
depository of Rhenish wines; but its commerce
has much declined of late years, having been
transferred to Rotterdam. The father of the cel-
ebrated De Witts was Burgomaster of Dort, and
Vossius was once superintendant of its academy.
The natural situation of Dort is such that it has
never been taken by an enemy ; but it surren-
dered to the French in 1795. It is 10 miles S.
E. of Rotterdam. Long. 4. 45. E. lat. 51. 51. N.
Pop. about 20,000.

Dortmund, a strong town of Westphalia, in a
nook at the S. extremity of the upper bishopric
of Munster. It was lately imperial, and is seat-
ed on the Emster, 15 m. S. W. of Ham, and 30
S. by W. of the cify of Munster. Pop. about

4,000.

Dotekom, or Deutckom, a town of Holland, in
Gelderland, with a foundery for bombs and cannon
palls ; seated south of the Yssel, 10 m. S. E. of
Doesburg.

Douamenez, a town of France in the depart-
ment of Finisterre, seated on a bay of the same
name, at the entrance of the English channel, 8
m- N. W. ofQuimper.

Dmi.au, a city of France, formerly the capita! of
the department of Nord, with a fine arsenal, a foun
dery for cannon, a military school, a citadel, and
three famous colleges; to which a great number
of the catholic youths of England and Ireland
are sent for education. It was taken by the Duke
of Marlborough in 1710, and retaken by the
French in 1712, after the suspension of arms. It
is 110 miles N. by E. of Paris, 70 E. S. E. of Bo-
logne, and 18 S. of Lisle, to which it is connect-
ed by a canal. It is the seat of a prefect, and in
1825 contained 18,854 inhabitants.

Doubs, a department of France, on the frontier
of Neufchatel in Switzerland. It comprises the
eastern part of the late province of Franche
Compte, and is watered by a river giving name
to the department which falls into the Saone a
little above Chalons. Doubs is a woody and
mountainous district, interspersed with fertile
vallies; the mountains yield a considerable sup-
ply of iron, the forests abundance of timber,
whilst sheep and black cattle abound in the val-
lies, yielding a considerable supply of butter and
cheese, the latter is celebrated by the name of
grueyere; the vine is also cultivated with suc-
cess, and to some extent; it has been proposed
to unite the river Doubs with the Ule, falling
into the Rhine, and thereby unite the waters of
the north sea, with the Mediterranean. The de-
partment of Doubs is divided into four arron-
dissements ; Besangon, 210 miles S. E. of Paris,
is the capital; and the chief towns of the other
three arrondissements are Baume, Pontarlier, and
Montbelliard ; there are two other considerable
towns, viz. Quingey and Ornans.

Doue, a town of France, in the department of
Mayenne and Loire, with a considerable manu-
facture of druggets and tammies. Near it is a
vast Roman amphitheatre, cut out of the solid
rock. It is 9 miles S. W. of Saumur.

Dote, a river of Derbyshire, Eng. which rises
in the Peak, near Buxton, parts the county from
Staffordshire, and after a course of about 40 miles
joins the Trent, 4 miles below Burton

Dover, Straits of, between the S. E. point of
England, and the N. W. extremity of France,
leading from the Atlantic Ocean, through the En-
glish channel into the north sea ; the narrowest
part of the strait is about 20 English statute
miles, and the two usual points of intercourse
about 23 miles. Dover castle being in 1. 19. 7.
and Calais lights in 1. 51.1, of E. long, being a
difference of 32 miles of long, which in the lat.
of 51 As equal to 19 geographical or 23 English
statute miles. The straits extend from the S. W.
in a direction N. N. E. for about 44 m., intersect-
ed by the long, of 51. of N. lat.

Dover, Town of, which gives name to the pre-
ceding strait, is seated on the English coast, in the
county of Kent, and is celebrated in every period
of English history; by the ancient Britons it was
called Dour, by the Romans Dubris, and by the
Saxons Dovre; and the Romans regarded it as
Clavis et refragulum, totius regnixe2x80x94the lock and
key of the whole realm. Dover may doubtless
still be regarded as the great outlet and portal of
the realm on the side of northern Europe, and
from its peculiar local situation and advantages to
be still entitled to high consideration. But as
navigation has advanced towards perfection, and
England advanced in her maritime ascendency, in
a relative sense, Dover has become an inconsider-
able place, and in point of security and defence
is very insignificent compared with either Ports-
mouth or Davenport: while Harwich, Southamp