781 



DONAGHADEE. 



DONCASTER. 



763 



Perdjausk, on the Sea of Azof, is a still more modern town ; it stands 

 on the Moloschna in the district of the Mennonites, and has a popula- 

 tion of about 3000, composed of Italians, Russians, and Greeks. Its 

 port is better than that of Taganrog. The inhabitants are chiefly 

 engaged in the corn trade. 



Trades and mechanical pursuits are carried on only in the two 

 chief towus, New and Old Tsckerkask, and the larger stanitzes, or 

 Tillages ; for as the Cossak depends upon himself for the supply of 

 bis daily wants, there is consequently little encouragement for the 

 manufacturer and mechanic. The only large manufactures are caviar, 

 wax, and isinglass. The exports are sent to Taganrog, which is the 

 chief mart for the sale of what the country produces; periodical 

 fairs are held in Old and New Tscherkask, &c. 



The territory of the Cossaks is divided into seven notchalstoe, or 

 provinces, namely, 1 . Aksai, on the Don, ill which are Old Tscherkask 

 and New Tscherkask, the only towns in the country ; 2. The First 

 District of the Don, containing the large villages of Troilinskaya, 

 Bistrianskaya, Tsiemlianskaya, &c. ; 3. The Second District of the 

 Don, with the large villages of Tscherskaya and Gelubinskaya ; 

 4. iledwiedicza, with the large villages of Ust-Mestwiedicza, Bere- 

 sof-ka, and Ostiofskaya ; 5. Koperskye, with the large villages of 

 Urupinskaya, Kotofskaya, and Dobriuskaya ; 6. Doneczkaya, with 

 the large villages of Kasanskaya, Luganskaya, and Mikiteuska ; and 

 7. Minsk, with the large villages of Grabova and Alexief kaya. 



The territory of the Don-Cossaks contains but 2 towns and 120 

 stanit/es. The villages, many of which have markets, are always 

 placed on the banks of rivers and composed of from 50 to 300 houses, 

 well built, clean, and conveniently arranged, with one or more churches 

 of stone or wood. Some of these stanitzes are large and resemble 

 towns, and are surrounded by a wall and narrow ditch ; the khutors, 

 or stables, stalls, &c., lie outside of them. The Cossaks, who have 

 been settled in the country since 1569, are genuine Little Russians, 

 and speak pure Russian mixed with occasional provincialisms. They 

 are proverbially hospitable and cheerful, but violent when excited ; 

 and although they consider the plunder of their enemies lawful in 

 war, theft is almost unknown among them. Their mode of life is in 

 general very simple and frugal, and the enjoyment of civil freedom 

 has given them an independence of mind which places them far higher 

 in the social scale than the abject Russian. Their starchiues, or 

 nobles, are in general well educated. Their educational establish- 

 ments, of which they have several, are within the jurisdiction of the 

 university of Charkov. 



In respect to church matters, this territory forms the diocese or 

 cparchate of New Tscherkask, and contains about 400 churches and 

 several monasteries. The majority of the people are of the Russo- 

 Greek Church. The Calmucks are Lamaists, and the Nogay and 

 other Tartars are Mohammedans. 



The history and government of the Don-Cossaks is given in the 

 article COSSAKS. They are exempt from taxes and crown mono- 

 polies, and enjoy other privileges ; in return for which they are bound 

 to furnish a large force of cavalry for the service of the emperor. 

 They are governed by a hetman or attaman, who is now generally a 

 Russian officer ; and every stanitze has its local hetmau, who is elected 

 by the inhabitants. The civil and military affairs of the province are 

 managed by a council or chancery presided over by the attamau. The 

 Calmucks are governed by the same laws, and subject to the authority 

 of the attaman. They are equally bound to serve with their Cossak 

 fellow countrymen, by whom however they are held in great contempt. 

 They dwell in tents of skins, and are exclusively occupied in rearing 

 cattle, sheep, camels, and especially horses, with which they supply 

 the Russian light cavalry. 



The Cossaks pay much attention to their dress, which consists of 

 a blue jacket frequently laced with gold and lined with silk, a silk 

 vest and girdle, full white trowsers, and black woollen cap, with a 

 large red bag dangling behind. The females, who are inferior in 

 symmetry of form to the males, have agreeable features, a florid 

 complexion, and fine black eyes. They wear a long falling tunic of 

 cotton or silk partly open in front, and confined by an ornamental 

 waistband. Beneath this upper garment appear broad trowsers, with 

 which yellow boots are usually worn. The hair of the unmarried 

 female Boats in long braided tresses over the shoulder, but when 

 married she conceals it under a cap richly embroidered with gold and 

 pearls. Their dances resemble those of the Russian gipsies, and are 

 performed by two persons only, who accompany their movements 

 with loud cries. 



DONAGHADEE, county of Down, Ireland, a market and sea-port 

 town in the barouy of Ards, is situated in 54 Q 35' N. lat., 5 30' 

 W. long., distant 119 miles N. by E. from Dublin, 17 miles E. by N. 

 from Belfast, and 21 miles from Portpatrick, on the opposite coast of 

 Great Britain. The population in 1851 was 2821. 



Douaghadee owes its rise to being the most convenient point of 

 communication between the latest colonists of Ards and their country- 

 men in Scotland, with whom they earned on a sufficient traffic to 

 induce the proprietor, the Lord Montgomery, about 1650, to erect a 

 jiiay 1 .28 yards in length and from 21 feet to 22 feet broad. The 

 Scottish mails lauded here from before 1744, at which time Donaghadee 

 enjoyed a large share of the imports and exports of this part of the 

 country. A new pier was constructed a few years back at the expense 



of government. It incloses a basin of seven acres, and is calculated 

 to hold sixty vessels of the larger class. The expense was upwards 

 of 150.000Z. ; the work is executed in the best manner, but it has not 

 proved as serviceable as was anticipated. The town, which consists 

 of two principal streets, is well built and airy ; it has a considerable 

 export trade in cattle and grain, and a large import of coal. The 

 town is the head-quarters of a fishery district. Some of the female 

 inhabitants are employed in embroidering muslin chiefly for Glasgow 

 manufacturers. Fairs are held in June, July, August, October, and 

 December. There are a handsome church, several chapels for Pres- 

 byterians, and one chapel for Wesleyan Methodists. Petty sessions 

 are held here. The coast-guard have a station at the port. 



On the north-east side of the town stands a remarkable artificial 

 mount, or rath, surrounded by a dry fosse from 27 feet to 32 feet 

 broad. The circumference of the mount at the bottom is 480 feet, at 

 the top 219 feet, and its greatest conical height 140 feet. A powder 

 magazine has been built on the summit. From the top of the mount 

 Scotland and the Isle of Man are visible in fair weather. The sub- 

 marine telegraph, affording a communication between Donaghadee and 

 Portpatrick, on the west coast of Scotland, was brought into operation 

 on May 23rd, 1853. 



(Harris, History of the Coun/y of Down ; Northern Tourist.) 



DONCASTER, West Riding of Yorkshire, a market-town, borough, 

 and the seat of a Poor-Law Union, in the parish of Doncaster, is 

 situated on the right bank of the river Don, on the great north road 

 which passes through the town, in 53 31' N. lat., 1 8' W. long., 

 distant 37 miles S. by W. from York, 162 miles N.N.W. from London 

 by road, and 156 miles by the Great Northern railway. The popu- 

 lation of the borough and township, which are co-extensive, was 12,052 

 in 1851. The borough is governed by 6 aldermen and 18 councillors, 

 one of whom is mayor. For sanitary purposes the borough is under 

 the management of a Local Board of Health. The livings are in the 

 archdeaconry and diocese of York. Doncaster Poor-Law Union 

 contains 54 parishes and townships, with an area of 107,340 acres, 

 and a population in 1851 of 35,269. 



Doncaster was the Danum of Antoninus, and was called Donna 

 Ceastre by the Saxons, from which its present name is derived. 

 Doncaster is one of the cleanest, most airy, and most beautiful towns 

 in the kingdom. The approach from London is by a wide and nearly 

 level road, ornamented with ancient elm-trees. The town stands on 

 the Watling-street of the Romans. Coins, urns, and other Roman 

 remains are occasionally dug up in the vicinity. 



Doncaster had its first charter of incorporation from Richard I., the 

 privileges granted by whom were confirmed and enlarged by several 

 of his successors. The town of Doncaster is kept iu excellent order, 

 the streets being well paved, and lighted with gas. 



Among the public buildings of Doncaster are the mansion-house, 

 a handsome edifice, which cost about 10,0001. ; it is used for the 

 meetings of the corporation, for concerts, assemblies, and public 

 meetings ; the guildhall, and a covered market-place, both recently 

 finished ; and the jail, which has arrangements for the classification 

 of prisoners. A county court is held in the town. 



The parish church, dedicated to St. George, was burnt down in 

 1850. A handsome subscription has been raised for the purpose of 

 rebuilding the edifice ; the first stone of the new building has been 

 recently laid, and the work is now being proceeded with. Christ 

 church was erected some years ago from a bequest of 13,0001. left for 

 that purpose by the late John Jarratt, Esq., a native of Doncacter. 

 The spire, 160 feet high, was much injured by lightning in November, 

 1836. The Independents, Baptists, Wesleyan and Primitive Method ists, 

 Quakers, Roman Catholics, and Unitarians have places of worship. 

 The educational establishments of Doncaster are numerous and well 

 supported. The Grammar school, which has an endowment of 19. a 

 year and a voluntary payment from the corporation of SOI. a year, 

 had 32 scholars in 1853. There are also National and British schools. 

 The Yorkshire institution for the deaf and dximb is a school of 

 instruction and industry, and is very successfully conducted. Other 

 institutions are the subscription library, the mechanics and apprentices 

 library, and the Lyceum literary and scientific society. A valuable 

 library also belongs to the church, which is accessible to all the 

 inhabitants. There is a savings bank. The public charities are 

 numerous. St. Thomas's hospital, endowed in 1588 by Thomas Ellis, 

 is an asylum for six " poor and decayed housekeepers of good name 

 and fame." Quintin Kay's charity of 3001. per annum is chiefly 

 devoted to the relief of poor and reduced persons, and to the appren- 

 ticing of six poor children to mechanical or handicraft trades. 

 Jarratt's charity is for the relief of six reduced housekeepers. The 

 other charities in Doncaster are the dispensary, the lying-in, clothing, 

 sick, and soup charities. 



Doncaster has some iron and brass foundries, sacking and linen 

 manufactories, rope-works, a flax spinning-mill, and manufactories of 

 agricultural machines. The market is held on Saturday. There are 

 four annual fairs for cattle, horses, sheep, and woollen cloth. A wool 

 market is held weekly, on Saturday, iu June and July ; also on the 

 first Saturdays of August, September, and October. The corn market 

 is one of the largest in the kingdom. A covered corn exchange was 

 erected in 1843. The walks and drives in the vicinity of the town, 

 and the pleasing character of the surrounding scanery, render 



