da I mafia n Breed of dog named after the Adriatic coastal region of Dalmatia, its first definite home. The time and place of the breed’s origin are unknown. Though it has served as a guard dog, war dog, fire- department mascot, hunter, shepherd, and performer, it became best known as a coach or carriage dog, functioning as an escort and guard for horse-drawn vehicles. Sleek and short-haired, it is distinguished by its dark-spotted white coat. It stands 19-23 in. (48-58.5 cm) high and weighs 50-55 lbs (23-25 kg), and is generally even-tempered and friendly.
Dalriada \,dal-re-'a-d3\ Ancient kingdom, northeastern Ireland and western Scotland. Known from the 5th century ad, it included the north¬ ern part of the present County Antrim in Northern Ireland and part of the Inner Hebrides and Argyll in Scotland. Earlier, Argyll had received north¬ ern Irish people known as Scoti and had become an Irish (i.e., “Scottish”) area. In the late 5th century the rulers of Irish Dalriada expanded into Scottish Dalriada. Irish Dalriada gradually declined, while the Dalriada of the Scottish mainland continued to expand. In the mid-9th century the PlCTS were brought permanently under Dalriadic rule, and the whole coun¬ try was thereafter known as Scotland.
Dalton, John (b. Sept. 5 or 6, 1766, Eaglesfield, Cumberland, Eng.—d. July 27, 1844, Manchester) British chemist and physicist. He spent most of his life in private teaching and research. His work on GASes led him to state Dalton’s law (see gas laws). He devised a system of chemical sym¬ bols, ascertained the relative weights of atoms, and arranged them into a table. His masterpiece of synthesis was the atomic theory—the theory that each element is composed of tiny, indestructible particles called atoms that are all alike and have the same atomic weight —which elevated chemistry
Dalhousie, detail of an oil painting by Sir John Watson-Gordon, 1847; in the National Portrait Gallery, London.
COURTESY OF THE NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY, LONDON
© 2006 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
508 I Dalton brothers ► Dampier
to a quantitative science. He was also the first to describe colour blindness (1794), and his lifelong meteorologi¬ cal journal contains more than 200,000 observations. He is remem¬ bered as one of the fathers of mod¬ em physical science.
Dalton brothers U.S. outlaws.
Probably born in Cass Co., Mo., they worked as cowboys in Oklahoma but by 1889 had become horse thieves.
In 1890-91 they robbed gambling houses, trains, and banks. In 1892 Bob, Grat, and Emmett Dalton and two other gang members rode into Coffeyville, Kan., to rob its banks; they were recognized, and vigilante citizens killed all but Emmett, who was wounded and sent to prison for 14 years. The fourth brother, Bill, had returned to Oklahoma before the raid; he later formed his own gang, and was shot by lawmen in 1894 while playing with his daughter.
Daly River \'da-le\ River, northwestern Northern Territory, Australia. Formed by the confluence of three smaller rivers, it flows about 200 mi (320 km) from the hills west of Amhem Land to Anson Bay on the Timor Sea. Its basin supports cattle ranching and peanut and tobacco farming. It was first explored by Europeans in 1865. It is navigable for 70 mi (115 km) above its tidal mouth.
dam Barrier built across a stream, river, or estuary to conserve water for such uses as human consumption, irrigation, flood control, and electric- power generation. The earliest recorded dam is believed to be a masonry structure 49 ft (15 m) high built across the Nile River in Egypt c. 2900 bc. Modem dams are generally built of earth fill, rock fill, masonry, or monolithic concrete. Earth-fill (or embankment) dams, such as Egypt’s Aswan High Dam, are usually used across broad rivers to retain water. The profile of an earth-fill dam is a broad-based triangle. Concrete dams may take various forms. The gravity dam uses its own dead weight to resist the horizontal force of the water. Concrete-buttress dams reduce material in the wall itself by using support buttresses around the outside base. An arch dam, such as Hoover Dam, is built in a convex arch facing the res¬ ervoir, and owes its strength essentially to its shape, which is particularly efficient in transferring hydraulic forces to supports.
damages In law, the money awarded to a party in a civil suit as repa¬ ration for the loss or injury for which another is liable. The theory of an award of damages in a personal-injury or other tort case is that injured parties should be placed in the position they would have been in if the injury had not occurred, so far as this can be accomplished with a mon¬ etary award. Where the legal wrong at issue is the breach of a contract, the goal of the damages remedy is to give the injured parties the benefit they would have received had the contract been performed. More than one type of damages (e.g., direct, incidental, and punitive) may be awarded for a single injury.
Daman and Diu \d9- , man... , de-ii\ Union territory (pop., 2001 prelim.: 158,059), west-coastal India. Its capital is the town of Daman (pop., 2001 prelim.: 35,743). It consists of two widely separated districts: Daman, on the Gujarat coast north of Mumbai (Bombay), and the island of Diu, off the southern coast of the Kathiawar Peninsula; the territory’s total area is 43 sq mi (112 sq km). Formerly Portuguese possessions. Daman and Diu were annexed by India in 1962. The population is predominantly Hindu. Agriculture and fishing are the major economic activities.
Damaraland Vds-'mar-a-.land, , da-m3-r3-,land\ Historical region, north-central Namibia. Occupied by the Herero and Khoisan people, who subjugated the original Bergdama people there, it extends between the Namib and Kalahari deserts and from Ovamboland to Great Namaqualand, centring on Windhoek. The grassland region was suited both to the nomadic hunting and pastoral life of its original inhabitants and to the cattle breeding of the Europeans who, in the early 20th century, displaced the indigenous peoples and confiscated their herds.
Damascus \d3-'mas-k3s\ Arabic Dimashq \di-'mashk\ City (pop., 2004: 1,614,500), capital of Syria. Located at an oasis at the base of the
Anti-Lebanon Mountains, it has been an important population centre since antiquity. Believed to be the world’s oldest continuously inhabited city, it has evidence of occupation from the 4th millennium bc. The first writ¬ ten reference to it is found in Egyptian tablets of the 15th century bc, and biblical sources refer to it as the capital of the Aramaeans. It changed hands repeatedly over the centuries, belonging to Assyria in the 8th cen¬ tury bc, then Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome. It remained under the control of Rome and its successor state, the Byzantine Empire, until it fell to the Arabs in ad 635. Damascus flourished as the capital of the Umayyad dynasty, and the remains of their Great Mosque still stand. Taken by the Ottoman Empire in 1516, it remained under Ottoman rule until 1918; it was occupied by France in 1920 and became part of independent Syria in 1946. Today the city is a flourishing trading centre, with many educa¬ tional and scientific institutions. The old city centre was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1979.
Damascus Document or Zadokite Fragments Document asso¬ ciated with the ancient Jewish community at Qumran. The group had fled to the desert during Antiochus IV Epiphanes’s persecutions (175-164/163 bc). The document must predate the revolt of ad 66-70, which forced the community to disband. It is known from fragments found in caves at Qumran as well as from 10th-12th-century manuscripts. The first section calls for fidelity to God’s covenant and observance of the Sabbath and also introduces the sect’s leader, the Teacher of Righteousness. The sec¬ ond contains statutes dealing with vows, community assemblies, and admission and instruction of new members. See also Dead Sea Scrolls.
d'Amboise \da n -'bwaz\, Jacques orig. Jacques Joseph Ahearn
(b. July 28, 1934, Dedham, Mass., U.S.) U.S. dancer and choreographer. After studying at the School of American Ballet, he made his debut at age 12. He joined the New York City Ballet at age 15 and from the 1950s to the 1970s created leading roles in ballets such as Western Symphony (1954), Stars and Stripes (1958), and Who Cares? (1970). D’Amboise was admired for his athletic interpretations of both character and classi¬ cal roles. He also performed in films. He later founded and directed the National Dance Institute, a nonprofit group dedicated to dance instruction in public schools.