DOR 



49 



Dotthotir, well as mort of the other towns in this county, there is 

 Dordognc. a gr ea t dulness and want of activity. There are seve- 

 ral well constructed and rather elegant buildings of 

 brick and stone ; the most remarkable of which are the 

 three churches, St Peter's, Trinity, and All Saints. 

 The town-hall is very spacious and convenient, under 

 which is the market-place ; and behind it two rows of 

 butchers' shops. The county hall is remarkable rather 

 for its neatness and commodiousness, than for the taste 

 or elegance of its architecture ; and the gaol, which, 

 under the same roof, contains a county gaol, a peniten- 

 tiary house, and a house of correction. It is built ex- 

 actly and entirely on the plan so strongly recommend- 

 ed by the late Mr Howard. In its external appearance, 

 as well as in its situation, this building is very striking ; 

 and its interior is arranged and fitted up in the manner 

 best suited for its destination. The buildings consist 

 of a lodge, keeper's house, chapel, debtors day rooms, 

 female fires, and female debtors rooms, visiting rooms 

 for male debtors, felons' infirmaries, &c. Besides the 

 main building, there are four wings, which, though de- 

 tached, communicate with the centre in each story by 

 means of cast iron bridges. The sleeping cells will ac- 

 commodate 88 prisoners, and they are distributed in the 

 different buildings. The condemned prisoners are con- 

 fined in four cells, light and airy ; and such as are vio- 

 lent and refractory, are confined to four that are per- 

 fectly dark. The male prisoners are completely sepa- 

 rated from the female ; and the prisoners of each sex 

 are divided into classes, for each of which separate sub- 

 divisions are appropriated, by means of distinct stair 

 cases, with courts, work rooms, &c. 



Dorchester was formerly famous for its woollen ma- 

 nufacture ; but this is now gone to decay. At present 

 it is chiefly celebrated for its ale. The situation, as well 

 *s the environs of the town, are very pleasant. It 

 stands on an ascent above the river Frome, (which 

 bounds it on the north side,) about six miles from the 

 English Channel. On the south and west the downs 

 open to the view, rich in pasture, or, where tilled, af- 

 fording abundant crops of corn. Dry and pleasant 

 walks, planted with rows of lime and sycamore trees, 

 accommodate the inhabitants, and adorn the vicinity of 

 the town on the south and west, and partly also on the 

 north and east. Dorchester was a place of considerable 

 importance in the timeof the Romans, as the Vialceniana, 

 on which it stands, and the several vicenial roads which 

 branch from this, as well as the coins, &c. found here, 

 abundantly testify. In 1595, it was visited by a most 

 dreadful plague. In 1613, 300 houses were destroyed 

 by fire, and the loss was estimated at L.200,000. There 

 are three fairs held in it for cattle, sheep and lambs, 

 wool and leather. The market days are Wednesday 

 and Saturday. Its population in 1811 was 2546. (w.s.) 



DORDOGNE, the name of one of the departments 

 of France, derives its name from the river Dordogne, 

 which traverses its southern part from east to west. It 

 is bounded on the north by the departments of Upper 

 \ ienne and Charente, on the west by those of Lower 

 Charente and Gironde, on the south by that of Lot and 

 Garonne, and on the east by those of Lot and Correze. 



The principal rivers of this department are the Dor- 

 dogne, the Ille, which passes Perigueux, the Houe, the 

 Upper Vezere, &c. Of these, the Dordogne and the 

 le only are navigable. The Dordogne is navigable 

 before it reaches Libourne, and the Ille is navigable 

 from Coutras to the Dordogne. The country is moun- 

 tainous and well wooded, and the air is pure, though, 



TOL. VIII. PART I. 



DOR 



cold. There are several extensive plain?, and very fine Dordogne, 

 vallies, in the department. The soil is generally stony, Dordr lit. 

 and more than one-third of it is in cultivation. Corn is """V 11 

 raised only on the banks of the Ille and the Dordogne, and, 

 in consequence of tlve want of meat, chesnuts form the 

 chief article of food for the inhabitants. In some of the 

 cantons there are good meadows, which might be turned 

 to great account in the fattening of cattle. Game, (which 

 is principally red partridges,) fattened poultry, and 

 truffles, which accompany always the turkeys and poul- 

 try in Perigueux, if they do not form the riches, are at 

 least the resources of this department. The produc- 

 tions of the soil are corn, maize, wines, of which those 

 of Bergerac and Domm are the most celebrated ; truf- 

 fles, chesnuts, and walnuts. The principal articles of 

 commerce are poultry, pigs, cattle, chesnuts, brandy, 

 timber, iron, knitted hosiery, paper, and earthen ware. 

 The iron mines produce excellent iron, which is used 

 in the common founderies, and supply 63 forges, the 

 most important of which are those of Somelieres, Ans, 

 Eysies, Montclas, and de Lavaur; and there are also 

 several mineral springs in the department 



This department has a superficial extent of 9482 

 square kilometres, or 480 square leagues The forests, 

 which ore very extensive, though in a state of decay, 

 occupy 69,000 or 70,000 hectares, or about 135,000 or 

 136,000 arpensj of which 6-1,000 hectares belong to 

 individual proprietors. The average contribution of 

 every individual to the expences of the state is nearly 

 6s. 6d. sterling ; and in the year 1 803, the contributions 

 to government amounted to 3,171,642 francs. The fol- 

 lowing is a list of the principal towns, with their popu- 

 lation. 



Perigueux, 3733 



Bergerac, 8540 



Sarlat, 5024. 



Riberac, 2985 



Nontron, 2809 



Montpazier, 1000 



Selves, 1700 



Perigueux is the capital. The total population of 

 the department is 410,350. It is stated at 426,000 in 

 the Almanack du Commerce pour 1811. See Herbin's 

 Stalistique de la France ; and Chantreaux's Science de 

 L'Hiftoire, &c. () 



DORDRECHT, or DOHT, Dordracum, or Dortrech- 

 tnm, is an ancient town of Holland, and is one of the 

 richest and strongest in the kingdom. It is situated at 

 the embouchure of the Meuse, which here takes the 

 name of Merwe. The harbour is commodious, and has 

 from 20 to 24> feet of water at spring tides. Vessels 

 which draw 10 or 12 feet of water can enter it at all 

 times. By means of the river Waal, which passes be- 

 fore the town, great floats of timber are brought to 

 Dordrecht, which can enter the harbour at all tides. 

 These floats are sometimes so enormous, that 500 men 

 are sometimes necessary to conduct them. The tim- 

 ber is cut in the sawing-mills, which are numerous in 

 the vicinity of Dordrecht. 



Dordrecht is the magazine for the Rhenish wines, 

 which are brought down the Rhine and the Meuse, for 

 all sorts of iron-work, lime, marble, coal of Liege 

 and Namur, and other articles of merchandise, which 

 are conveyed in boats from Cologne and Gueldres. 

 There are refineries of salt, and bleaching establish- 

 ments at Dordrecht ; and there is a considerable fishery,. 



