DETONATION DEVEHEUX. 



655 



kind of Numidian cavalry, in Asdrubal's army in Spain, 

 in which the soldiers had two horses each, and, in the 

 heat of an engagement, frequently leaped, fully 

 armed, from one to another. ^Elian gives a similar 

 account of a tribe dwelling not far from the Danube, 

 who, on this account, were called Amphippi. 



DETONATION ; a sudden combustion and ex- 

 plosion. 



DETROIT ; an American town, the capital of 

 Michigan, in Wayne county, on the west side of the 

 river Detroit, Ion. 82 58' W. ; lat. 42 24' N. The 

 town is defended by fort Shelby, which is a regular 

 work of an oblong form, covering an acre of ground ; 

 and the barracks adjoining are capable of quartering 

 several regiments. It is advantageously situated, 

 and has a considerable and growing commerce, and 

 is a place of importance in the fur trade. It was 

 wholly destroyed by fire in 1805 ; but the streets 

 liave been since laid out regular and wide, and the 

 town built in an improved style. Detroit was set- 

 tled by the French from Canada as early as 1683. 

 In August, 1812, it was taken by the British, under 

 general Brock, but it did not long remain in their 

 possession. 



DETROIT RIVER, or STRAIT OF ST CLAIR; 

 a river or strait ofrNorth America, which runs from 

 Jake St Clair to lake Erie. Detroit is the French 

 word for straits ; and the name was given by the 

 French, the first white men who settled here. Its 

 course is nearly S., with a gentle current, and suffi- 

 cient depth of water for the navigation of large ves- 

 sels ; the banks are covered with settlements, and the 

 country is exceedingly fertile. Near the banks of 

 the river are many fine orchards of apple-trees, pear- 

 trees and cherry-trees, producing as fine fruit as any 

 in the United States, and presenting a very agree- 

 able view as one sails up the river. It is twenty- 

 seven miles long, and three quarters of a mile wide 

 opposite to Detroit, enlarging as it descends. 



DEUCALION, in fabulous history; father of 

 Hellen, ancestor of the Hellenes, was the son of Pro- 

 metheus and Pandora. He led a colony from Asia 

 into Greece, and established himself in Lycorea on 

 mount Parnassus, from whence he afterwards made 

 an incursion into Thessaly, and expelled the Pelasgi. 

 In his time was the celebrated flood (the deluge of 

 Deucalion, in the sixteenth century B. C.). It was 

 caused by the river Peneus, and is thus described in 

 fable : Jupiter, determining to destroy mankind by 

 water, on account of their impiety, brought a flood 

 upon the earth, by means of a violent rain ; Deuca- 

 lion saved himself, and his wife Pyrrha, on the top 

 of mount Parnassus. After the flood had subsided, 

 they consulted the oracle of Themis, to know what 

 they must do to repair the loss of mankind ; and were 

 directed to throw behind them the bones of their 

 mother. Understanding their mother to signify the 

 earth, and her bones the stones, they did as the oracle 

 directed. The stones thrown by Deucalion became 

 men, and those thrown by Pyrrha became women. 

 Many other circumstances are related by the ancient 

 writers concerning this deluge, which bear a resem- 

 blance to those related in the Scriptures of the de- 

 luge of Noah. See Deluge. 



DEUCE, or DUSE ; an evil spirit. This word is 

 only used as an exclamation ; as, " What the deuce 

 is the matter ?" It is generally derived from dusius, 

 a Latinized term of the Gauls. St Augustine (De 

 Civitate Dei, 15, 23) has the words Quosdam dcemones 

 quot dusios Galli nuncupant. Isidorus, in his glos- 

 sary annexed to Martinius, suggests that dusius may 

 be a corruption of the name of Drusus, son of 

 Tiberius, notorious for his German victories, whose 

 Maine may have been perpetuated as a term of terror 

 among the conquered people. Isidorus also suspects 



that the word droes, used among the Dutch as we 

 use dense, has the same origin. Another derivation, 

 also, might be suggested. Tevt or Deut was the name 

 of a deity among the ancient Germans. May not the 

 Saxons have continued to swear by this name, even 

 after their baptism, and have carried it with them to 

 England ? Their continuing to use the word would 

 not be more surprising than the practice of the 

 Italians, who still retain the exclamations per Jlacco 

 (by Bacchus!) per f-'enere (by Venus!) &c. 



DEUTERONOMY ; the last of the books of 

 Moses. The word is derived from the Greek Iwr-^is, 

 second, and *<>/*/>; , the rule, or law, because the book 

 of Deuteronomy is a repetition which the legislator 

 made to the Israelites, just before his death, of the 

 law which he had before delivered to them at large. 



DEUX-PONTS ; the French name for the German 

 city Zweibruecken, in Latin Bipons, all which names 

 signify Two-Bridges. In English, the French name 

 is used. Deux-Ponts belongs at present to the circle 

 of the Rhine, of the kingdom of Bavaria, and was 

 formerly the capital of the duchy of Deux-Ponts. 

 (See Bavaria.) By the peace of Luneville, the duchy 

 was ceded, with all the left bank of the Rhine, to 

 France, and afterwards composed a part of the de- 

 partment of the Donnersberg. It contains 70,000 

 inhabitants, on 763 square miles. By the peace of 

 May 30, 1814, it was restored to Germany. Madder 

 and hops are important articles of agriculture in this 

 district. The city of Deux- Fonts is small, and 

 agreeably situated, in Ion. 7 25' E., lat. 49 16' N. ; 

 and contained, in 1822, 800 houses, and 6332 inha- 

 bitants, exclusive of the suburbs, which contained 

 826 inhabitants. Here is a high school, and a court 

 of appeal for the Bavarian circle of the Rhine. The 

 manufactures are of cloth, leather, and tobacco. The 

 well known editions of Greek, Roman, and French 

 classics, called Bipont editions, were published here 

 by a society of learned men. The publication com- 

 menced in 1779. 



DEVA ; a Sanscrit word, meaning God. It oc- 

 curs in various geographical compounds. 



DEVEREUX, ROBERT, earl of Essex, was born in 

 1567, and educated at Cambridge. In his 17th year, 

 he was introduced at court ; in 1586, distinguished 

 himself at the battle of Zutphen, so as to be created 

 a knight banneret, and on his return became master 

 of the horse. The queen assembling her army at Til- 

 bury, to resist the Spanish invasion, Essex was ap- 

 pointed general of the horse, and received the order 

 of the garter. In 1591, he was sent, with 4000 men, 

 to the assistance of Henry IV., then fighting against 

 the league, but effected nothing of consequence. He, 

 however, retained the queen's favour, was soon after 

 created a privy counsellor, in 1596 was appointed 

 joint commander with lord Howard, in a successful 

 expedition to the coast of Spain, and on his return 

 was made master-general of the ordnance. In 1597, 

 he was created earl marshal of England. On the 

 breaking out of the rebellion of Tyrone, Essex was 

 appointed governor of Ireland. He attempted to 

 quell a rebellion at Munster, before he proceeded 

 against Tyrone, which so much reduced his army, 

 that, not being able to meet the Irish leader, he en- 

 tered into a negotiation. These transactions dis- 

 pleased the queen, and several sharp letters passed, 

 which determined him to confront his enemies at 

 home. He accordingly left Ireland, contrary to or- 

 ders, and hastened to the court, without changing his 

 dress, where, finding the queen in her bed-chamber, 

 he fell upon Ids knees, and was received better than 

 he expected. He was, however, soon after strictly 

 examined by the council, and deprived of all his em- 

 ployments but that of master of the horse. He might, 

 however, have regained the queen's favour, liad not 



