Dahlgren

Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)

JOHN ADOLPH, an American naval officer; born in Philadelphia, Pa., Nov. 13, 1809; entered the navy as a midshipman in 1826, and rose through the grades to the rank of rearadmiral. He rendered efficient service in suppressing blockade-running during the Civil War. He was an authority on ordnance and invented the famous Dahlgren gun. He died in Washington, D. C., July 12, 1870. DAHLIA (so called after Andrew Dähl, a Swedish botanist and a pupil of Linnæus, by whom this beautiful garden plant was first brought into cultivation), a genus of composite plants, tribe Asteroideæ, sub-tribe Eclipteæ. Two species are cultivated in gardens, D. superflua, which has the outer involucre reflexed, and D. frustranea, in which it is spreading. D. variabilis is a cross between the two. Both are from Mexico. DAHOMEY (native name of the people, Dauma or Dahomé), a colony of French West Africa between Lagos (British) and Togoland and extending northward to the French Military Territories. The long lagoon which, shut in from the ocean by a protecting bank of sand, affords an easy route along nearly the whole of this coast, extends in Dahomey, from its W. frontier almost to the Denham lagoon, in the E. About midway is the port of Whydah, whence a road extends inland to Abomey, a distance of 65 miles. Dense forests and dismal swamps cover nearly two-thirds of this distance, but from the Great Swamp of Agrimé vast undulating plains rise for many miles, in the direction of the Kong Mountains. The Avon and Denham lagoons receive the rivers of the country, none of which are very important. The soil is a rich, red-colored clay, and is extremely fertile. Groves of oil-palms encircle each town, and palm-oil is made in large quantities. Maize, beans, and peas, as well as cassava, yams, sweet potatoes, limes, oranges, pineapples, and other tropical fruits, grow in splendid sugar and spices of luxuriance; cotton, , all kinds are also grown, and sheep, goats, swine, and poultry are raised, though not in large numbers. Cotton cloth is made, and weapons and tools are forged from native iron. The imports in 1918 amounted to 12,819,239 francs and the exports to 13,690,478 francs. The people are negroes, of the Ewe group, generally of small stature, but very robust and active. The Dahoman kingdom dates from the beginning of the 18th century, and reached its zenith under Gezo, who ruled from about 1818 to 1858. The Amazons (devoted to celibacy), who are distinguished for their bravery and ferocity, may perhaps be limited to 1,000. Fetich-worship prevails, taking the form of serpent-worship along the coast; a temple with over a hundred of these sacred snakes exists in Whydah. The king is the most absolute of despots. Wholesale murder is one of the chief features in religious and state ceremonies; but, acording to Sir Richard Burton, who visited Dahomey in 1863, the number of the victims has been greatly exaggerated, and they are principally foreign captives. Still, as many as 500 human victims have been sacrificed at one of the grand "customs" which take place every October. The revenue formerly depended greatly upon the sale of slaves; but the vigilance of the cruisers employed to prevent the traffic has ruined the trade. Hence the monster slavehunts which periodically took place are a thing of the past. In 1876 the coast of Dahomey was placed under a strict blockade by Great Britain, on account of an outrage on a British subject, for which the King of Dahomey refused satisfaction.