DO'RNICK, n. s. Of Deornick in Flanders, where first made. A species of linen cloth used in Scotland for the table.

DORNOCH, the county town of Sutherland, in a parish of the same name, on the Frith of Dornoch. It has five fairs; was made a royal borough in 1628; has a provost, four bailies, dean of guild, and treasurer; and joins with Tain, Dingwall, Wick, and Kirkwall, in electing a representative in parliament.

DOROBAT, a town of Arabia, in the capital of a district in the country of Yemen, situated on the crest of a mountain. Here is a remarkable prison excavated from the rock, wherein malefactors are secured by chains of considerable length. It is twelve miles west of Taas.

DOROGOBUSH, a town of European Russia, in the government of Smolensko, on the Dnieper. It is a place of great trade, and was burnt by the French, in 1812, in their retreat from Moscow. Forty-six miles E. N. E. of Smolensko.

DORONICUM, leopard's bane; a genus of the polygamia superflua order, and syngenesia class of plants; natural order forty-ninth, compositæ. Receptacle naked, the pappus simple; scales of the calyx in a double row, longer than the disc. The seeds of the radius naked without any pappus. There are six species; of which the DORONICUM PARDALIANCHES, with obtuse heart-shaped leaves, is worthy of notice. It grows naturally in Hungary, and on the Helvetian mountains; but is frequently preserved in the English gardens. It has thick fleshy roots, which divide into many knobs or knees, sending out strong fleshy fibres which penetrate deep into the ground; from these arise in the spring a cluster of heart-shaped leaves, which are hairy, and stand upon foot-stalks: between these arise the flower-stalks, which are channelled and hairy, nearly three feet high, putting out one or two smaller stalks from the side. Each stalk is terminated by one large yellow flower. The plant multiplies very fast by its spreading roots; and the seeds, if permitted to scatter, will produce plants wherever they happen to fall; so that it very soon becomes a weed in the places where it is once established. It loves a moist soil and shady situation. The roots were formerly used in medicine as alexipharmics and purifiers of the blood, but their operation was so violent that they are now entirely laid aside.

DORPAT, or DORPT, a town in Livonia, European Russia, in the government of Riga. It is situated on the small river Embach or Einbach, on the high road to St. Petersburg, and its annual fair is of great importance. A university has been established here since 1802, with a revenue of from £10,000 to £15,000 sterling. It has a library, museum, and botanic garden, liberally endowed. The environs are very agreeable. Dorpat is an ancient town. In 1704 it was taken and burned by the Russians, and in 1775 was consumed by accidental fire. Population 4500. Sixty-five miles south-west of Narva, 120 N. N. E. of Riga, and 132 southwest of St. Petersburg.

To DORR, v. n. Teut. tor, stupid. To deafen or stupify with noise. This word I find only in Skinner, says Dr. Johnson,

DO'RSEL, n. s. Į DO'RSER.

From dorsum the back. SA pannier; a basket or bag, one of which hangs on either side a beast of burden, for the reception of things of small bulk. It is corruptly spoken, and perhaps written, dossel.

DORSET, a township of Vermont, in Bennington county, bounded by those of Rupert on the west, Manchester on the south, and Danby on the north.

DORSETSHIRE, a county of England, is bounded on the north by Wiltshire and Somersetshire, on the east by Hampshire, on the west by Devonshire and part of Somersetshire, and on the south by the British Channel. It is a maritime county, lying between 50° 30′ and 51° 6' N. lat., and 1° 58′ and 3° 18′ W. long. Across the centre, from north to south, it measures about thirty-six miles; and from east to west about fifty miles. It is said to contain in all about 512,154 acres. The political divisions of the county consist of divisions, hundreds, boroughs, liberties, and tithings. There are nine divisions, thirty-four hundreds, twenty-four market towns, 248 parishes, and four sea-port towns. This county is in the diocese of Bristol, and is divided into five deaneries. It is included in the western circuit, and the assizes are now held at Dorchester. According to Ptolemy and other writers, Dorsetshire under the Romans was inhabited by the Durotriges or Morini; British words implying maritime people, or dwellers on the seashore. The Saxon invaders gave the name of Dor-setta to this county, a word compounded of British and Saxon, and signifying the same as the Roman appellations. When the island was divided into Roman provinces, this county became part of Britannia Prima; and, on the estabishment of the Saxons, it was included in the kingdom of Wessex. The varied beauties of this county, the mildness of its climate, and the value of its natural productions, have given to it the appellation of The Garden of England.' This character, however, is disputed by Mr. Stevenson, in his excellent View of the Agriculture of the county, which, he remarks, can scarcely be deemed to be so mild in its temperature, or so early in its seasons, as its latitude would lead us to expect. The fact is evident that the climate of Dorsetshire has undergone a very material alteration; and the air may now, as the same author remarks, be considered dry and salubrious rather than mild and bland; and the seasons, except in spots very sheltered or possessed of a very warm soil, are not nearly so

forward as they are in other parts of England not so far southward.

This county, in respect to soil, is naturally divided into three principal districts, viz. chalky loams, gravelly sand, and clay, or various soils on a clay basis. The chalky district commences on the borders of Somersetshire, near Crewkerne in that county, and runs in a very narrow slip towards the interior of the county, as far as the town of Eversholt, where it suddenly widens, and spreads considerably to the north of Dorchester. It then again abruptly contracts between Piddleton, south, and Bingham's Melcombe, north; but immediately once more extending itself, branches out more than half the breadth of the whole county, and extends into the county of Wilts and the borders of Hampshire. This district contains about 160,759 acres. The sand, district, occupying about 85,157 acres, approaches the borders of the British Channel; and, commencing a little east of Dorchester, forms a crescent, the east horn of which terminates near Ringwood in the county of Hampshire. The clayey soils are found in different parts, west, north, and south of the county, but particularly on the northern borders, and in the western districts near Devonshire. This district contains altogether about 117,331

acres.

Of the rivers of this county we may notice the Frome, the Hooke or Owke, the Ivel, the Piddle, the Stour, the Char, the Eype, and the Wey. These three last are the rivers of Dorsetshire bordering upon Devonshire. The celebrated watering-place which is formed by the combined towns of Melcombe Regis and Weymouth, as Mr. Skrine observes, graces the exit of the Wey to the sea, remarkable for its grand semicircular beach, and its excellent as well as level sands. These advantages, and the preference often given to this place by the royal family, have raised it to high consideration; splendid rows of houses being formed, with a superb esplanade in front of them, towards the coast, for a great extent, where they command the whole of the bay, bounded by great chalky cliffs, and backed by the Dorsetshire downs. The pier of Weymouth stretches out beneath an opposite rock, crowned with its garrison, which defends the harbour from the south and west winds, offering a convenient refuge to shipping, and possessing no small portion of trade. The village and high church of Wyke Regis occupy the highest point of this ridge of hills on the west, immediately opposed to the vast protruding mass of Portland Island. The Char and the Eype, which come in succession before the Wey, have no striking points; except that Charmouth, at the exit of the former, on the great western road, is preferred by some, as a bathing-place, to Lyme, which is far more beautifully situated in its neighbourhood. The Eype, joined by the Brit from Bedminster, and another stream westward of it, falls into the sea in Bridport Harbour, a few miles below that town. These rivers all descend from the Dorsetshire downs, and their course is nearly southward. The most considerable river is the Frome, rising, like the rest, in that vast tract of downs which divides it from Somersetshire; its two channels

uniting in a pleasant bourn at Maiden Newton, from whence it pursues a south-east course to Dorchester; fed afterwards by various streams from the hollows in the downs in the south, and, meeting the Piddle from the north as it turns more and more eastward to reach Wareham, it forms the great expanse of water constituting Poole Harbour. The country through which this river takes its course is but thinly inhabited, and bare of wood; but the range of downs that extend parallel with the latter part of its course, separating its vale from the coast, is formed by Nature in the boldest manner, containing many tumuli and ancient encampments, with the singular curiosity of one perfect Roman amphitheatre near Dorchester, within view of the old fortress of Maiden Castle. Dorchester may be called a pleasant town from the neatness of its streets, and, above all, from the avenues and planted walks by which it is environed and approached, after the manner of many French towns, which have an increased effect in the midst of so bare a country. Wild heaths succeed to the downs before the Frome reaches the sea; and Poole Harbour is a very extensive sheet of water, bounded towards the south-west by the Isle of Purbeck, in which the towers of Corfe Castle make a considerable figure. Poole is a flourishing port on its north shore. The Stour finds its source in six streams at Stourton in Wiltshire, three of which are in the park of Stourhead. Though perhaps somewhat less than the Frome, this is certainly by far the pleasantest of the Dorsetshire streams, forming in its passage he charming dell beneath the cliff of Brianstone. The vicinage of this river in particular, and indeed Dorsetshire in general, is noted for a profusion of fine seats, and a race of noblemen and country gentlemen who exercise the splendid and captivating hospitality of past ages, yet uncontaminated by the encroachment of manufactures. This beautiful river yields trout, eels, and tench; and the author now quoted, Mr. Hutchins, remarks that the sea on the Dorsetshire coast abounds with sturgeons, turbots, mackarel, plaice, soles, basse, whitings, congers, porpoises, lobsters, red and gray mullet, thornbacks, piper or gurnet, trill or scollop, shrimps, prawns, and oysters. The rivers furnish salmon, pike, carp, gudgeons, perch, &c. The Bay of Weymouth opens immediately below Portland; and that tract of Dorsetshire called the Isle of Purbeck stretches out on the opposite side to the south-east, terminating in the point called St. Alban's Head. The range of cliffs which bound this coast, as well as the shoals called The Race of Portland, are extremely dangerous to shipping, and wrecks are very frequent here in stormy seasons. The Cove of Lulworth presents an occasional refuge to small vessels, but its entrance is so narrow as to render it of little use. mediately behind it, Lulworth Castle occupies a charming elevation, and exhibits a grand baronial pile, in the midst of some ornamented grounds, commanding the sea with good effect, through a gap in the rocks. In the centre of the Isle of Purbeck, Corfe Castle displays its ruined towers on a high eminence with great majesty; and this pleasant district is inhabited.

Im

by several respectable families, whose seats make a handsome appearance; the Grange being the most conspicuous. Turning round the point of Purbeck, towards the north, the Bay of Strudland fronts the east, within which is the great expanse of Poole Harbour, marked with several islands, and distinguished by the port of Poole. Mr. Hutchins remarks of the mineral waters, that they are chalybeate at Farringdon, Aylwood, and Corfe; sulphureous at Sherford, Morden, Nottington, and Sherborne; salt at Chilcombe; and petrifying at Sherborne and Bothenwood, near Winborne-Minster.' There are no canals in this county, though Mr. Stevenson says that a navigable one is intended to pass from Somersetshire by Chardstock and Dorchester to the sea, near Beer and Seaton, in the county of Devon. The principal produce of Dorsetshire are its fine sheep, its extensive mackarel fishery, and the celebrated stone quarries in the peninsula or isle of Portland. There are no metallic mines nor coals of any value. The 'pebbly desert,' called the Chesil Bank, is, as Dr. Maton remarks, one of the most extraordinary ridges or shelves of pebbles in Europe, and perhaps the longest, except that of Memel in Polish Prussia. Its length is supposed to be about seventeen miles; its breadth in some places near a quarter of a mile.

Dorsetshire sends twenty members to parliament: viz. two for the county, two for Dorchester, two for Poole, two for Lyme Regis, four for Weymouth and Melcombe Regis, two for Bridport, two for Shaftesbury, two for Wareham, and two for Corfe Castle.

This county has produced among other eminent persons, Anthony Ashley Cooper, Earl of Shaftesbury Christopher Pitt, a very ingenious poet and divine, born at Blandford, in 1699, died 1748-the learned and celebrated Bishop Stillingfleet-Dr. Thomas Sydenham, one of the most learned and rational physicians of his time, who died 1689—Sir James Thornhill, nephew to the above, an eminent painter-The celebrated Archbishop Wake-The Rev. Samuel Wesley, father to the celebrated founders of Methodism Thomas Creech, the poet-Matthew Prior, &c. &c. The principal manufactory in this county is that of flax and hemp, near Bridport and Bedminster. These produce twine, string, and cordage in general; also nets, sacking, bags, &c. There are also several woollen manufactories, as also for twisting and making up raw silk into skeins. Shirt-buttons are manufactured at Shaftesbury; and malting and brewing are carried on at Wareham, Dorchester, &c. DORSI FEROUS, adj. Lat. dorsum and DORSI PAROUS. Sfero, or pario. Having the property of bearing or bringing forth on the back. It is used of plants that have the seeds on the back of their leaves, as fern; and may be properly used of the American frog, which brings forth young from her back.

DORSTENIA, contrayerva, a genus of the monogynia order and tetrandria class of plants; natural order fifty-third, scabrida: receptacle common, monophyllous, and carnous; the seeds lying singly in the carnous substances. There are eleven species, all low herbaceous plants,

growing in the warm countries of America. The root is used in medicine. It is full of knots, an inch or two in length, about half an inch thick; externally of a reddish-brown color, and pale within; long, tough, slender fibres shoot out from all sides of it, which are generally loaded with small round knots. The root has a peculiar aromatic smell, and a somewhat astringent, warm, bitterish taste, with a light and sweetish kind of acrimony when chewed. The fibres have little taste or smell; the tuberous part, therefore, should only be chosen. Contrayerva is one of the mildest of alexipharmics, and is a useful diaphoretic. Its virtues are extracted both by water and rectified spirit, and do not arise by evaporation with either. The plants cannot be propagated in this country without the greatest difficulty.

DORSUM, the back, in, anatomy, comprehends all the posterior parts of the body, from the neck to the buttocks. See ANATOMY.

DORT, or DORDRECHT, a city of the Netherlands, in the department of Delft, South Holland. It is seated in a small island, formed by the rivers Meuse, Merue, Rhine, and Linghe. The Meuse, on which it stands, gives it a good harbour, and separates it from the islands of Ysselmonde and Ablas. It is divided from Beyerland by a canal. The harbour is very commodious for the merchandise which comes down the Rhine and the Meuse. Its strength consists in being surrounded with water, its walls being old and decayed. Dort is well built with brick, and had formerly the exclusive right of coining money. The church of Notre Dame is a good building, the tower lofty, and furnished with musical chimes. There is another church, dedicated to St. Nicholas, built in 1568. It had likewise, before the revolution, several religious houses for monks and nuns; and the town house is a fine building. It is at present the staple town for wines, particularly Rhenish, though its exclusive privileges in this respect are abolished. It was detached from the main land in 1421, on the 17th November, by a flood occasioned by the breaking down of the dyke, which overwhelmed seventy villages, and about 100,000 persons. However, by time, and the industry of the inhabitants, a great part of the land is recovered. It has two principal canals, namely, the New and Old Haven, by which heavy-loaded vessels may enter into the city. Over the Old Haven is a large bridge, well built with brick. Dort was almost reduced to ashes in 1457, there being then consumed 2000 houses, with the balls, hospital, and church of Notre Dame. company of tradesmen, and some other commumities, elect the magistrates, and name one part of the members of the city council. In former times, Dort was the residence of the counts of Holland; and, on the foundation of the Dutch republic, it became the first in rank of the towns of Holland at the States-general.

The

This city is famous for the meeting of the clergy, called the synod of Dort, in which the Calvinists obtained a sentence against the Arminians, who were called Remonstrants. The dispute between the contending parties occasioned disorders, skirmishes, and murders, in