DAIILMANN 



DAIMlnS 



653 



because of their unpalatableness. See Nicholson's 

 in other Dictionary of Gardening, also any florist's 

 catalogue. 



Dahlmann, FKIEDRICH CHRISTOPH, German 

 historian, was liorn May 13, 1785, at Wismar. 

 His earlier studies in Copenhagen and Halle were 

 devoted to archaeology ami philology ; but his 

 attention was subsequently directed to the study 

 of politics and the history of the middle ages. 

 From 1S1.S on, he filled the chair of History at 

 Kiel, and in 1S20 was appointed to that of Politi- 

 cal Science in Gottingen, where he published 

 (1830) his invaluable Quellenkunde tier deutschen 

 Geschichte. Banished in 1837 by King Ernst 

 August of Hanover, on account of his protest 

 against the abolition of the Hanoverian constitu- 

 tion, he went to Leipzig, next to Jena, where he 

 wrote his historical masterpiece, Geschichte von 

 Dimemark (3 vols. 1840-43). In 1842 he became 

 Professor of History at Bonn, and took a prominent 

 part in the political affaire of Germany after the 

 movement in 1848, heading the constitutional 

 liberals, who were unfortunately too reasonable to 

 be successful. At the close of the struggle, he 

 returned to his academic duties, to which he 

 devoted himself till his death, 5th December 1860. 

 See Life, by A. Springer (2 vols. Leip. 1870-72). 



Dahn, JULIUS SOPHUS FELIX, publicist, his- 

 torian, and poet, was born at Hamburg, 9th 

 February 1834, the son of a well-known actor and 

 actress. He studied law, philosophy, and history 

 at Munich and Berlin, became extraordinary 

 professor at Munich (1862), next year ordinary 

 professor at Wiirzburg, and in 1872 was appointed 

 to the chair of German Jurisprudence at Konigs- 

 berg. Among his contributions to public law are 

 Das Kriegsrecht (1870), HandelsreclMiche Vortrdge 

 (1875), Deutsches Rechtsbuch (1877), and Deutsches 

 Privatrecht ( 1878). Of his historical works the chief 

 are Prokopius von Ciisarea (1865), Die Konige der 

 Germanen (1861-71), Westgotische Stndien (1874), 

 Langobardische Stiidien (1876), Urgeschichte der 

 gernuinischen und romanischen Volker ( 3 vols. 

 1881-84 ), and Geschichte der deutschen Urzeit ( 1885 ). 

 Dahn's versatility is as remarkable as his erudi- 

 tion is profound. He has written a series of 

 popular historical romances, and of lyrical and 

 dramatic poems. Of the former may here be 

 named Bin Kampf urn Rom (1876), a powerful 

 novel, Odhins Tro'st (1880), and Die Kreuzfahrer 

 ( 1885). See his Eriitnerunyen ( 1892-93). 



Dahna. See ARABIA, Vol. I. p. 362. 



Dahomey ( the native name of the people being 

 DiiuiiM or Duhorne) is since 1892-94 a French pro- 

 tectorate in Western Africa, between Lagos ( British ) 

 and Togoland ( German ), with an area stated at 4000 

 miles. But the frontiers of the ' hinterland, 'always 

 vague, were matters of disagreement and debate 

 between Britain and France as late as 1897, the 

 French claiming a territory continuous to Borgu and 

 beyond. The coast strip is not Dahomey proper, 

 but, as the Slave Coast, is part of French Guinea 

 ( comprising Grand Popo, Cotonit, and Porto Novo). 

 The long lagoon which, shut in from the ocean by a 

 protecting bank of sand, affords an easy route along 

 nearly the whole of this coast, extends 'in Dahomey, 

 from its western frontier almost to the Denham 

 lagoon, in the ease. About midway is the port 

 of VVhydah, whence a road extends inland to 

 Abomey, a distance of 65 miles. Dense forests and 

 dismal swamps cover nearly two-thirds of this 

 distance, but from the Great Swamp of Agrim6 

 vast undulating plains rise for many miles, in the 

 direction of the Kong Mountains. The Avon and 

 Denham lagoons receive the rivers of the country, 

 none of which are very important. The soil is a 

 rich, red-coloured clay, and is extremely fertile. 



Groves of oil-palms encircle each town, and palm- 

 oil is made in large quantities. Maize, beaim, and 

 peas, an well an cassava, yams, sweet potatoes, 

 iimes, oranges, pine apples, and other tropical 

 fruits, grow in splendid luxuriance ; cotton, sugar, 

 and spices of all kinds are also grown, and hheep, 

 goats, swine, and poultry are raised, though not in 

 large numbers. Cotton cloth is made, and weapons 

 and tools are forged from native iron. 



The people are negroes, of the Ewe group, gener- 

 ally of small stature, but very robust ana active. 

 They are sociable, equally fond of dancing and of 

 rum, but warlike ana prone to theft. The Daho- 

 inaii kingdom dates from the beginning of the 18th 

 century, and reached its zenith under Gezo, who 

 ruled from about 1818 to 1858. Since then its 

 power has declined, and even its population has 

 fallen off; but little reliance can be placed on 

 the estimates of the numbers, which range 

 from 150,000 to 900,000, the former number being 

 probably most correct. The army may be taken at 

 10,000 men; the Amazons (devoted to celibacy), 

 who are distinguished for their bravery and ferocity, 

 may perhaps be limited to 1000. Fetich-worship 

 prevails, taking the form of serpent-worship along 

 the coast ; a temple with over a hundred of these 

 sacred snakes exists at Whydah. The king is the 

 most absolute of despots. Wholesale murder is one 

 of the chief features in religious and state cere- 

 monies ; but, according to Sir Richard Burton, who 

 visited Dahomey in 1863, the number of the victims 

 has been greatly exaggerated, and they are princi- 

 pally foreign captives. Still, as many as 500 human 

 victims have been sacrificed at one of the grand 

 ' customs ' which take place every October. The 

 revenue formerly depended greatly upon the sale of 

 slaves ; but the vigilance oF the cruisers employed 

 to prevent the traffic has rained the trade. Hence 

 the monster slave-hunts which periodically took 

 place are a thing of the past. In 1876 the coast of 

 Dahomey was placed under a strict blockade by 

 Great Britain, on account of an outrage on a British 

 subject, for which the king of Dahomey refused 

 satisfaction. ABOMEY, the capital, stands on a roll- 

 ing plain, nearly surrounded by mai-shes. It is about 

 8 miles in circumference, and is surrounded by a 

 deep ditch and clay walls, pierced by six gates. 

 There are three palaces belonging to th'e king here, 

 several large squares, and a number of farms, which 

 are cultivated within the city. Pop. about 30,000. 

 Whydah has a pop. of about 12,000 ; and < 'ana, 

 where is the king's country residence, 8 miles SE. 

 of Abomey by a good road, about 5000. See Bur- 

 ton's Mission to Gelele, King of Dahomey ( new ed. 

 1864); Skertchly, Dahomey as It is (1874); and 

 Bouche, La Cote des Esclaves et le Dahomey ( Paris, 

 1885). 



Dalira* a district of Algeria, to the east of 

 Mostaganem. In June 1845 re Ussier (q.v.) suffo- 

 cated 500 refugee Kabyles in caves here. 



Daimiel, a town of Spain, 28 miles ENE. of 

 Chiliad Real by rail, with manufactures of woollens, 

 brandy, &c. Pop. 9652. 



Daimler Motor, a specially modified petro- 

 leum oil-engine (see GAS-ENGINE, Vol. V. p. 109), 

 perfected by the inventor, Gottlieb Daimler of 

 Cannstatt in Wiirtemberg (who assisted Otto of 

 Deutz in perfecting his gas-engine), for use in auto- 

 cars (see TRACTION-ENGINES). Such carriages could, 

 even when, noisy and smelly, they were first put 

 upon the roads, easily do twelve and a half miles an 

 hour, and carry supplies of petroleum for four or 

 more hours' running. Experiments which involveri 

 several days' running were successfully carried out 

 between Paris and Bordeaux in June 1895. Similar 

 experiments were subsequently repeated in England. 



Dainiyos, the old noble* of Japan (q.v.). 



