D I U 



758 



D I U 



J»ita»sa 



I 

 Diu. 



dience to their summonses or directions against a body 

 corporate, the process of these courts being different in 

 the case of an individual. Second, It is likewise used 

 as a compulsive process against jurors, to compel their 

 appearance against the day appointed. And, third, 

 Where a defendant has been adjudged to render or do 

 something in special, he may, under this writ, be com- 

 pelled by repeated distresses of his chattels. 



A distringas differs from a common distress in this, 

 that the one is a judicial process, sanctioned by an ex- 

 press writ ; while the other is entirely the act of the in- 

 jured party. The sole object of the former also, is the 

 redress of a private wrong ; while the latter is rather 

 in the way of punishment, for contempt of the authori- 

 ty of the court, (j. b.) 



DITASSA, a genus of plants of the class Pentandria, 

 and order Digynia. See Brown, Wernerian Transac- 

 tions, vol. i. and Botany, p. 181. 



DITMARSH. See Denmark, and Holstein. 

 DITONE, in Music, (III) or Ditonum, T+t, is a 

 concordant interval whose ratio is £, =1972+4 f -J- 1 7m, 

 or the Third Major, which see. 



DITONE of Aristoxenus, in his genus Enharmonic, 

 was |4 tn °f ^e minor fourth, or £ x 4th, =203.204712 

 -f.4f-f.17m, or 203f 2+4f-f-17f m, and its log. = 

 .9000490,1071. 



DITONE of Eratosthenes, according to Dr Wallis, 

 hadaratio^, =208.72902s- r -4f+19m, and its log. 

 =8973376,581 1. This is the greater of the equal-beat- 

 ing bi-equal thirds of Earl Stanhope. See the Phil. 

 Mag. vol. xxvii. p. 203. 



DITONE of Euclid, was half a major tone less than 

 the minor fourth, or 4th — £T, =|T + t+S ; its ratio is 

 S'^-8^/2, =202.003931 2 + 4f+ 17m, or 2022 + 4f+ 

 17|m, and its log. =.9006375,2462: itis =^VTII— T, 

 =.380076 x VIII, = 18.41741 X C. 



DITONE, Double Greater, (4T) or four major tones, 

 has a ratio |ff|, =4l62-f-8f-f.36m; it is the Super- 

 fluous Fifth of Bemetzrieder. See that article. 



DITONE, Greatest, or Ditonus of Holder and others, 

 (2T) or two major tones, has a ratio %±, =2082 + 4f+ 

 18m; it is the Major Third acute, or CouMA-redun- 

 dant, which see. 



DITONE, least of Holder, (2t) or two minor tones, 

 has a ratio 4^, =1862-f-4f.fl6m: it is the Major 

 Third grave, or comma-deficient, which see. 



DITONE, Semi, or Sesquitone, (3d) is the least of 

 the concords, if we except the unison, and is said to 

 have been unknown to the ancients before Ptolemy's 

 time; its ratio is £, =1612 + 3f+14ni. See Third 

 Minor. 



DIU, is the name of an island in the Indian Sea, on 

 the southern coast of Guzzerat. It is about two miles 

 distant from Diu head, the southernmost part of the 

 continent; and is about 6\ miles long from east to 

 west, and 1| broad from north to south. The channel 

 which separates the island from the mainland, can be 

 navigated only by fishing boats at half tide ; and at the 

 western entrance, which is defended by a square fort, 

 there is only four or five feet at low water on the bar. 



The island abounds with cattle, poultry, fish, and all 

 «orts of provisions, which are cheaper here than at any 

 of the English stations. There is, however, little fruit, 

 and few vegetables. 



The town of Diu is reckoned one of the best built, 

 and one of the strongest cities in India. The streets are 

 extremely narrow, but are kept very clean. The hou- 

 ses within the walls are of free-stone, and seme of them, 

 inhabited by Banians, are four or five stories high. The 



town contains several churches and convents. The castle 

 of Diu is defended with more than 100 pieces of mount- 

 ed cannon, several of which are of brass ; and from the 

 castle there extends a wall, with half-moon towers at 

 equal intervals, and encircling the whole town. The 

 sea gate and the land gate are always shut at sun-set. 

 Opposite to the custom-house is a flight of stone steps, 

 which form the landing place, and here are many shops 

 and warehouses. Vegetables are brought to Diu from 

 the mainland in great abundance ; but beef is procured 

 clandestinely, as the principal merchants are Hindoos. 

 The water on the island is brackish. The rain water is 

 kept in large reservoirs, and will last from one season 

 to another. It is conveyed to the wharf in a canal, and 

 delivered to the boats from a cock. Within 500 yards 

 of the east side of the castle, there is water sufficient for 

 a 74 gun ship. 



In consequence of the bad conduct of the Portuguese, 

 the immense trade which was formerly carried on at 

 Diu has been transferred to Surat and other adjacent 

 places. Tavernier, in his Observations sur le Commerce 

 des Indes, considers Diu as one of the finest stations in 

 the East" for a great commercial establishment, from the 

 safety of its harbour, the excellence of its water, the 

 extraordinary quantity which it affords of all sorts of 

 refreshments, and from its proximity to Surat, which 

 can be reached in four or five days. 



At Nowabunder, about five miles to the east of Diu, 

 there is a nest of pirates, who keep their vessels in a 

 small creek, protected by a Httle fort. They, however, 

 spare all boats under Portuguese colours. 



In the year 1 509, when Albuquerque, at the head of the 

 Portuguese, first visited Diu, he described the city as a 

 grand and spacious place, girt with strong walls and lofty 

 towers, all handsomely built and well laid out, like towns 

 in Portugal. He attacked the shipping in the harbour* 

 amounting to 200 sail, and took or sunk the greater 

 part of them. Albuquerque, however, was induced to 

 abandon his plan of attacking Diu ; and having made 

 an advantageous peace, he returned southward. After 

 many attempts to get a fort erected in Diu, the Portu- 

 guese at last obtained permission, in 1534, from Badur, 

 King of Cambaye, and they completed it in the short 

 space of 49 days, and mounted 60 pieces of cannon up- 

 on the ramparts. Badur, however, repented of his 

 concession, and began to build a wall or fortification 

 between the fort and the city, which he was obliged to 

 give up after strong remonstrances from the Portu- 

 guese. 



In the year 1 537, Badur made a treacherous attack 

 upon Diu, slew De Sousa, the commandant of the fort, 

 during a friendly interview, but lost his own life in the 

 affray which ensued. The town of Diu was immediate- 

 ly surrendered to the Portuguese. They found only 

 200,000 pardaos (L.37,500 sterling), but the quantity 

 of ammunition was immense. They obtained a prodi- 

 gious number of brass cannon, among which were three 

 basilisks of enormous size, one of which was sent by 

 De Cuna as a curiosity to Lisbon, and was placed in 

 the castle of St Julien, at the mouth of the Tagus, 

 where it is known by the name of the great gun of 

 Diu. 



In the year 1538, the Turks, aided by the king of 

 Guzzerat, made a desperate attempt upon Diu; but 

 the Governor Silveira, conducted the defence in a stile 

 of bravery and skill, which has perhaps never been 

 surpassed in the annals of war. The acts of heroism 

 and personal valour which were displayed during the 

 siege, both by the men and the women of the garrison, 



Diu, 



