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Tom Browning

Thomas Leo Browning (April 28, 1960 – December 19, 2022) was an American left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played from 1984 to 1995, spending almost his entire career with the Cincinnati Reds. In his rookie season in 1985, Browning won 20 games and was runner-up for the National League (NL) Rookie of the Year Award; he was the Reds' first 20-game winner in 15 years, and equalled the most wins by a Cincinnati lefthander since 1925. He quickly became a mainstay in the team's pitching rotation, leading the NL in games started four of the next five years. Browning pitched the twelfth perfect game in major league history on September 16, 1988, against the Los Angeles Dodgers, just the third perfect game by a lefthander; it was the highlight of a season in which he was 18–5, posting the league's second-highest winning percentage. He helped the Reds to a sweep in the 1990 World Series, winning Game 3 against the defending champion Oakland Athletics. In 1991, his last full season, Browning was named to the NL All-Star team.

Browning's 123 wins with the Reds ranked fourth among lefthanders when he retired, and remain the most by any Reds pitcher active since 1971; his 298 starts trail only Eppa Rixey among the team's lefthanders. He later became a broadcaster and minor league pitching coach, and co-authored the book Tom Browning's Tales from the Reds Dugout. Browning was inducted into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame in 2006.

College
Browning played college baseball at Le Moyne College in Syracuse from 1979 to 1981 and Tennessee Wesleyan College in Athens, Tennessee from 1981 to 1982.

Minor leagues
Browning was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the ninth round of the 1982 June draft out of Tennessee Wesleyan College in Athens, Tennessee. That year, he led the Pioneer League in strikeouts and innings pitched, and after learning a screwball during the Fall Instruction League, went 8–1 with 101 strikeouts in $78 2/3$ innings pitched for Class-A Tampa in 1983. He eventually earned a midseason promotion to Class-AA Waterbury and struck out 101 batters in $117 1/3$ innings pitched.

Browning began the 1984 season with Class-AAA Wichita, where he went 12–10 with a league-high 160 strikeouts. On July 31 of that year, he threw a seven-inning no-hitter against Iowa and later earned a September call-up to play for Pete Rose's Cincinnati Reds. In his major-league debut, Browning beat Orel Hershiser and the Los Angeles Dodgers while pitching $8 1/3$ innings and giving up just one run. He finished the year with a 1–0 record and recorded a 1.54 ERA to retain his spot on the major-league club the following season.

Early career
As a rookie, Browning went 20–9 with a 3.55 ERA for the Reds, becoming the first rookie to win 20 games since the Yankees' Bob Grim in 1954. Browning finished the season with 11 consecutive wins—the longest streak by a Cincinnati pitcher in 30 years—and was named The Sporting News' NL Rookie Pitcher of the Year. He also finished second (behind Vince Coleman) in NL Rookie of the Year voting.

Browning was superstitious and did not shave between starts. As a result, he was often photographed with a four-day stubble. He also wore red underwear on the days he pitched.

Browning would go on to post double-digit win totals for seven straight seasons and consistently ranked among the league leaders in starts, innings pitched, and shutouts. One of his best seasons came in 1988, when he went 18–5 with a 3.41 ERA and teamed with 23-game-winner Danny Jackson.

Perfect game
On September 16, 1988, Browning pitched the 12th perfect game in baseball history. In a 1–0 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers at Riverfront Stadium, Browning threw 70 of 102 pitches for strikes and did not run the count to three balls on a single batter. The first left-hander to pitch a perfect game since Sandy Koufax's perfect game in 1965, Browning remains the only Reds player to pitch a perfect game. Three months earlier, on June 6, 1988, Browning had a bid for a no-hitter broken up by Tony Gwynn, who singled with one out in the ninth.

Browning just missed becoming the first pitcher to hurl two perfect games, taking another bid into the ninth on July 4, 1989, against the Philadelphia Phillies at Veterans Stadium; a lead-off double by Dickie Thon broke up this attempt.

1990 World Series
In 1990, the Reds went to the postseason for the first and only time in Browning's career. He won 15 games that season and picked up a key win over the Pittsburgh Pirates in Game 2 of the National League Championship Series. The Reds would meet the heavily favored Oakland A's in the World Series that year, but thanks in part to Browning's victory in Game 3, the Reds pulled off an unlikely sweep to become champions. "That 1990 season was, without a doubt, the most enjoyable season of baseball I have ever been a part of," he said.

Browning's wife went into labor late in Game 2 of the World Series. Browning left the stadium to be with his wife at the hospital. However, as the game entered extra innings and the Reds' manager Lou Piniella realized his pitcher was absent, the Reds called the announcers and had them issue a statement on radio and TV asking Browning to return to the ballpark in case he had to pitch. While Browning did hear the message, he stayed with his wife. The Reds won in the 10th inning.

Late career
Browning battled injuries from 1991 to 1993—going 27–26—but after a 10–4 start to the 1991 season, he earned a spot on the All-Star team, though he did not appear in the NL's 4–2 loss. Two years later on July 7, 1993, he sneaked out of Wrigley Field during a Reds-Cubs game and spent a half inning with fans on the rooftop of 3643 North Sheffield Avenue in full uniform in one of baseball's most legendary pranks. The gag earned Browning a $500 fine from Reds manager Davey Johnson.

Browning entered the 1994 season healthy. However, during a start in San Diego on May 9, Browning's arm broke while delivering a pitch to Archi Cianfrocco. The injury was gruesome, with spectators and television viewers able to see Browning's arm separate from his shoulder, and hearing a popping sound simultaneously. He missed the remainder of the season. He attempted a comeback with the Kansas City Royals in 1995, starting two games in May but losing both with an 8.10 ERA, but he decided to take the rest of the season off and to continue rehabbing his arm. He entered camp with the Royals again in 1996 but retired before the season began.

Browning retired with a 123–90 record, a 3.94 ERA, and 31 complete games. His 123 wins with the Reds rank 12th on Cincinnati's all-time leaders list.

Post-playing career
In December 2005, Browning led fan balloting wire-to-wire to become a 2006 Reds Hall of Famer.

In February 2006, new Reds CEO Bob Castellini invited Browning to spring training as a special instructor. He broadcast Dayton Dragons (a Class-A affiliate of the Reds) games during the 2006 season and was the pitching coach for the Dragons' 2012 and 2015 seasons.

In 2007, Browning was named the pitching coach for the Reds' Rookie Advanced level Billings Mustangs farm club.

Personal life
Browning's book, Tom Browning's Tales from the Reds Dugout, debuted in March 2006 and was co-authored by Reds employee Dann Stupp.

On March 30, 2009, Browning was arrested for non-payment of child support and was held on $99,008.36 bail.

On February 27, 2018, Browning and his three sons purchased Bart's on York, a small bar located in northern Kentucky, across the river from Great American Ballpark. The bar has been registered under the name Browning's on York; the official name change occurred on the 2018 Reds opening day.

, Browning's son Logan was a pitcher in the Boston Red Sox farm system.

Browning had two sisters and two brothers.

Browning was arrested and charged with an OVI (or DUI) for falling asleep and driving his car through a house on August 27, 2022, in Georgetown, Ohio. His blood alcohol content was 0.127.

Death
On December 19, 2022, Boone County, Kentucky Sheriff's Department officers and emergency personnel responded to Browning's home in Union, Kentucky. Upon arriving they found Browning not breathing. Attempts at resuscitation were unsuccessful.

title: Tom Browning


text: Category:Estonian sportspeople

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Category:Estonian sportspeople


text:
Talk:PIM Sparse Mode

what is the "RP?"

Rendez Vous point (the article has been updated since your question) --Cyr 10:32, 1 May 2005 (UTC)

Comment moved here (was placed in the article by 64.132.220.21).

Just an FYI... assuming "Sparse mode multicast" is referring to PIM SM, the RP does not send IGMP join messages. The hosts that wish to join the multicast group will send IGMP messages to link-local addresses. They are never routed. The routers that receive and process the IGMP requests then build the appropriate PIM message to send to the RP. Again, IGMP is never routed. A PIM-Join is a unicast IP packet to which every PIM-enabled router it traverses will adapt.

title: Talk:PIM Sparse Mode


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Topo

Topo or TOPO may refer to:

 * Topo (Calheta), a civil parish in the municipality of Calheta, in the Portuguese archipelago of the Azores
 * Topo (climbing), in climbing, a graphical illustration of the line and key topological challenges of a route
 * Topo (robot), a robot aimed at the consumer and educational market, produced during the 1980s by Androbot
 * Topography or topographic map
 * Trioctylphosphine oxide, abbreviated as TOPO
 * TOPO cloning, in genetics
 * Los Topos, a 1970s California theatre group, one of whose members was also known as Topo
 * Topo (DC Comics), a fictional character in the Aquaman series
 * Topo Gigio, a popular Italian puppet character, made famous by appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show
 * Topos de Tlatelolco, an earthquake and natural disaster search and rescue squad from Mexico
 * Topo, a genus of comb-footed spiders

El Topo may refer to:
 * El Topo, 1970 Mexican film
 * El Topo (Puerto Rican singer/songwriter), stage name for Antonio Caban Vale

title: Topo


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Third Army (United Kingdom)

The Third Army was a field army of the British Army during World War I that saw active service on the Western Front throughout the war.

First World War
The Third Army was part of the British Army during World War I and was formed in France on 13 July 1915, under the command of Lieutenant-General Charles Monro. During August 1915 the Third Army took over trench line south of the French Tenth Army, which had to keep in position for the forthcoming autumn offensive. This made the Third Army geographically separate from the other British armies for the time being. This remained the case until March 1916, when the Tenth Army was moved to take part in the Battle of Verdun because of French losses and the Fourth Army was formed in preparation for the Battle of the Somme.

The battles it took part in on the Western Front included:
 * Battle of the Somme
 * Battle of Cambrai
 * Second Battle of Arras (April 1917)
 * Battle of Passchendaele
 * Battle of Amiens (August 1918)
 * Hundred Days Offensive

Order of battle
Third Army Order of Battle, August 1918.
 * IV Corps
 * 37th Division
 * 42nd (East Lancashire) Division
 * 62nd (2nd West Riding) Division
 * New Zealand Division
 * 5th Division
 * V Corps
 * 21st Division
 * 38th (Welsh) Division
 * 17th (Northern) Division
 * 33rd Division
 * VI Corps
 * Guards Division
 * 2nd Division
 * 3rd Division
 * 59th (2nd North Midland) Division
 * XVII Corps
 * 51st (Highland) Division
 * 52nd Division
 * 56th (London) Division
 * 57th (2nd West Lancashire) Division
 * 63rd (Royal Naval) Division

Commanders

 * General Charles Monro (July–September 1915)
 * General Edmund Allenby (23 October 1915 – 9 June 1917)
 * General Sir Julian Byng (9 June 1917 – 22 March 1919)

Second World War
The army was not reraised during the Second World War. However, due to various Allied deception efforts, German intelligence over-estimated the number of Allied forces based within the UK by the start of 1944. While there was no specific deception effort to create the Third Army, German intelligence believed that one had been formed from Northern Command.

title: Third Army (United Kingdom)


text:
W. S. Merwin

William Stanley Merwin (September 30, 1927 – March 15, 2019) was an American poet who wrote more than fifty books of poetry and prose and produced many works in translation. During the 1960s anti-war movement, Merwin's unique craft was thematically characterized by indirect, unpunctuated narration. In the 1980s and 1990s, his writing influence derived from an interest in Buddhist philosophy and deep ecology. Residing in a rural part of Maui, Hawaii, he wrote prolifically and was dedicated to the restoration of the island's rainforests.

Merwin received many honors, including the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1971 and 2009; the National Book Award for Poetry in 2005, and the Tanning Prize — one of the highest honors bestowed by the Academy of American Poets — as well as the Golden Wreath of the Struga Poetry Evenings. In 2010, the Library of Congress named him the 17th United States Poet Laureate. Alongside co-author Takako Lento, he received the Japan–U.S. Friendship Commission Prize for the Translation of Japanese Literature in 2013 for their translation of Collected Haiku of Yosa Buson.

Early life
W. S. Merwin was born in New York City on September 30, 1927. He grew up on the corner of Fourth Street and New York Avenue in Union City, New Jersey, and lived there until 1936, when his family moved to Scranton, Pennsylvania. As a child, Merwin was enamored of the natural world, sometimes finding himself talking to the large tree in his back yard. He was also fascinated with things that he saw as links to the past, such as the building behind his home that had once been a barn which housed a horse and carriage. At the age of five he started writing hymns for his father, a Presbyterian minister.

Early career: 1952–1976
After attending Princeton University in 1952, Merwin married Dorothy Jeanne Ferry, and moved to Spain. During his stay there, while visiting the renowned poet Robert Graves at his homestead on the island of Majorca, he served as tutor to Graves's son. There, he met Dido Milroy, fifteen years his senior, with whom he collaborated on a play and whom he later married and lived with in London. In 1956, Merwin moved to Boston for a fellowship at the Poets' Theater. He returned to London, where he befriended Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes. In 1968, Merwin moved to New York City, separating from his wife Dido Milroy, who stayed at their home in France. In the late 1970s, Merwin moved to Hawaii and eventually was divorced from Dido Milroy. He married Paula Dunaway in 1983.

From 1956 to 1957, Merwin was also playwright-in-residence at the Poet's Theatre in Cambridge, Massachusetts; he became poetry editor at The Nation in 1962. Besides being a prolific poet, he was a respected translator of Spanish, French, Latin and Italian literature and poetry (including Lazarillo de Tormes and Dante's Purgatorio) as well as poetry from Sanskrit, Yiddish, Middle English, Japanese and Quechua. He served as selector of poems of the American poet Craig Arnold (1967–2009).

Merwin is known for his poetry about the Vietnam War and can be included among the canon of Vietnam War-era poets which includes writers Robert Bly, Robert Duncan, Adrienne Rich, Denise Levertov, Robert Lowell, Allen Ginsberg and Yusef Komunyakaa.

Merwin's early subjects were frequently tied to mythological or legendary themes, while many of his poems featured animals. A volume called The Drunk in the Furnace (1960) marked a change for Merwin, in that he began to write in a more autobiographical way.

In the 1960s, Merwin lived in a small apartment in New York City's Greenwich Village.

Later career: 1977–2019
Merwin's volume Migration: New and Selected Poems won the 2005 National Book Award for poetry.

In 1998, Merwin wrote Folding Cliffs: A Narrative, an ambitious novel-in-verse about Hawaiʻi in history and legend.

The Shadow of Sirius, published in 2008 by Copper Canyon Press, was awarded the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for poetry.

In June 2010, the Library of Congress named Merwin the seventeenth United States Poet Laureate, to replace the outgoing Kay Ryan. He is the subject of the 2014 feature documentary film Even Though the Whole World Is Burning, directed by Stefan Schaefer. A one-hour version, entitled "To Plant a Tree", was broadcast nationally on PBS. Merwin appeared in the PBS documentary The Buddha, released in 2010. He had moved to Hawaii to study with the Zen Buddhist master Robert Aitken in 1976.

In 2010, with his wife Paula, he co-founded The Merwin Conservancy, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving his hand-built, off-the-grid poet's home and 18-acre restored property in Haiku, Maui, which has been transformed from an "agricultural wasteland" to a "Noah's Ark" for rare palm trees, one of the largest and most biodiverse collections of palms in the world.

Merwin's last book of poetry, Garden Time (Copper Canyon Press, 2016), was composed during the difficult process of losing his eyesight. When he could no longer see well enough to write, he dictated poems to his wife, Paula. It is a book about aging and the practice of living one's life in the present. Writing about Garden Time in The New York Times, Jeff Gordinier suggests that "Merwin's work feels like part of some timeless continuum, a river that stretches all the way back to Han Shan and Li Po."

In 2017, Copper Canyon Press published The Essential W. S. Merwin, a book which traces the seven-decade legacy of Merwin's poetry, with selections ranging from his 1952 debut, A Mask for Janus, to 2016's Garden Time, as well as a selection of translations and lesser-known prose narratives. Merwin's literary papers are held at the Rare Book & Manuscript Library at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. The collection consists of some 5,500 archival items, and 450 printed books.

Death
Merwin lived on land that was part of a pineapple plantation, on the northeast coast of Maui, Hawaii.

W.S Merwin died on March 15, 2019, in his sleep at his home, as reported by his publisher Copper Canyon Press.

Awards

 * 1952: Yale Younger Poets Prize for A Mask for Janus
 * 1954: Kenyon Review Fellowship in Poetry
 * 1956: Rockefeller Fellowship
 * 1957: National Institute of Arts and Letters grant
 * 1957: Playwrighting Bursary, Arts Council of Great Britain
 * 1961: Rabinowitz Foundation Grant
 * 1962: Bess Hokin Prize, Poetry magazine
 * 1964/1965: Ford Foundation Grant
 * 1966: Chapelbrook Foundation Fellowship
 * 1967: Harriet Monroe Memorial Prize, Poetry magazine
 * 1969: PEN Translation Prize for Selected Translations 1948–1968
 * 1969: Rockefeller Foundation Grant
 * 1971: Pulitzer Prize for Poetry for The Carrier of Ladders (published in 1971)
 * 1973: Academy of American Poets Fellowship
 * 1974: Shelley Memorial Award
 * 1979: Bollingen Prize for Poetry, Yale University Library
 * 1987: Governor's Award for Literature of the state of Hawaii
 * 1990: Maurice English Poetry Award
 * 1993: The Tanning Prize for mastery in the art of poetry
 * 1993: Lenore Marshall Poetry Prize for Travels
 * 1994: Lila Wallace-Reader's Digest Writers' Award
 * 1999: Poetry Consultant to the Library of Congress, a jointly held position with Rita Dove and Louise Glück
 * 2005: National Book Award for Poetry for Migration: New and Selected Poems
 * 2004: Golden Wreath Award of the Struga Poetry Evenings Festival in Macedonia
 * 2004: Lannan Lifetime Achievement Award
 * 2008: Golden Plate Award, American Academy of Achievement
 * 2009: Pulitzer Prize for Poetry for The Shadow of Sirius (published in 2008)
 * 2010: Kenyon Review Award for Literary Achievement
 * 2010: United States Poet Laureate
 * 2013: Zbigniew Herbert International Literary Award

Other accolades
Merwin's hometown honored him in 2006 by renaming a local street near his childhood home W. S. Merwin Way.

Other sources

 * The Union City Reporter March 12, 2006.

title: W. S. Merwin


text:
User talk:Tbowyer

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title: User talk:Tbowyer


text:
Adamastor

Adamastor is a mythological character created by the Portuguese poet Luís de Camões in his epic poem Os Lusíadas (first printed in 1572), as a personification of the Cape of Good Hope, symbolizing the dangers of the sea and the formidable forces of nature challenged and ultimately overcome by the Portuguese during the Age of Discovery. Adamastor manifests itself out of a storm.

Background
Camões gave his creation a backstory as one of the Giants of Greek mythology, banished to the Cape of Good Hope by sea goddess Doris for falling in love with her daughter Tethis, now appearing out of a storm cloud and threatening to ruin anyone hardy enough to attempt passing the Cape and penetrate the Indian Ocean, which was Adamastor's domain. Adamastor became the spirit of the Cape of Good Hope, a hideous phantom of unearthly pallor: "Even as I spoke, an immense shape Materialised in the night air, Grotesque and enormous stature With heavy jowls, and an unkempt beard Scowling from shrunken, hollow eyes Its complexion earthy and pale, Its hair grizzled and matted with clay, Its mouth coal black, teeth yellow with decay."

- Camões

Vasco da Gama, ahead of the Portuguese expedition, confronts the creature by asking "Who are you?", prompting Adamastor to tell his story.

"I am that vast, secret promontory you Portuguese call the Cape of Storms which neither Ptolemy, Pompey or Strabo, Pliny, nor any authors knew of. Here Africa ends. Here its coast Concludes in this, my vast inviolate Plateau, extending southwards towards the Pole And, by your daring, struck to my very soul."

- Camões

Deeply moved, the giant eventually vanishes, dispersing the clouds and calming the sea, leaving the path towards India open.

Adamastor represented the dangers Portuguese sailors faced when trying to round the Cape of Storms – Cabo das Tormentas – henceforth called the Cape of Good Hope.

Legacy

A popular gathering place in Lisbon is known by the name 'Adamastor' because of the large stone statue of the mythical figure which presides over the space, which is officially called the Miradouro de Santa Catarina. The location offers visitors some of the most scenic views of the Tagus river, the 25 de Abril Bridge and the Cristo-Rei monument.

The Portuguese poet Fernando Pessoa included in his 1934 book Mensagem a number of verses dedicated to Adamastor, entitled O Mostrengo ("The Hideous Monster")

Adamastor, both the mythological character and the sculpture, are mentioned several times in José Saramago's Nobel Prize-winning novel, The Year of the Death of Ricardo Reis, and also in his historical novel Memorial do Convento (English language version: Baltasar and Blimunda).

Adamastor has figured in much poetry of the Cape. In The First Life of Adamastor, a novella by André Brink, the writer refashioned the Adamastor story from a 20th-century perspective.

Adamastor is also mentioned in the opera L'Africaine (1865) about Vasco da Gama by the composer Giacomo Meyerbeer. The slave Nelusko sings a song about Adamastor while he deliberately steers the ship into a storm and it sinks.

It is mentioned by Voltaire in his Essai sur la poésie épique. It also appears in the works of Victor Hugo: Les Misérables (III, Marius, chap III) and in a poem dedicated to Lamartine (Les Feuilles d'automne, chap IX). Alexandre Dumas, père refers the giant six times: Le Comte de Monte Cristo (chap. XXXI), Vingt ans après (chap. LXXVII), Georges (chap. I), Bontekoe, Les drames de la mer, (chap. I), Causeries (chap. IX) and Mes Mémoires (chap. CCXVIII). Gaston Leroux also mentions it in The Phantom of the Opera (chap. VI). Herman Melville mentions Adamastor and Camões in his Billy Budd, at the end of Chapter VII.

Adamastor is also the name of a sauropod dinosaur, Angolatitan adamastor, found in Angola, named by the paleontologist Octávio Mateus.

Etymology
The name Adamastor is an adaptation for the Portuguese language from the Greek word for "Untamed" or "Untameable" (Adamastos) (which the Portuguese did tame).

title: Adamastor


text:
Lancaster Cathedral

Lancaster Cathedral, also known as The Cathedral Church of St Peter and Saint Peter's Cathedral, is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Lancaster, Lancashire, England. It was a Roman Catholic parish church until 1924, when it was elevated to the status of a cathedral. It started as a mission church in 1798, and the present church was built on a different site in 1857–59. It was designed by E. G. Paley in the Gothic Revival style and is a grade II* listed building. In 1901 a baptistry was added by Austin and Paley, and the east end was reordered in 1995 by Francis Roberts. The cathedral is in active use, arranging services, concerts and other events, and is open to visitors.

History
Until the passing of the Roman Catholic Relief Act in 1791 Lancaster's Roman Catholics met in a makeshift chapel in St Leonardsgate. Building the first Catholic church in the town began with the laying of the foundation stone for the Lancaster Catholic Mission in Dalton Square on 13 March 1798. The chapel was consecrated during the following year. By the middle of the 19th century, there was a need for a larger church. Land for this was purchased on a different site near to the mission church, and the parish church dedicated to Saint Peter was built. It was designed by the local architect E. G. Paley. Before the church was built, Paley had already designed schools, a convent, and a presbytery which were built on this land. Tenders for the church were invited in March 1857, the foundation stone was laid on 29 April, and the new church was consecrated on 4 October 1859 by Dr Alexander Goss, the bishop of Liverpool. The church and its associated buildings cost a total of £15,000 (£0 in 2015), of which £2,000 was bequeathed by Thomas Coulston. During future years, additions and alterations were made to the church by Paley and his future partner in the practice, Hubert Austin, and by his own son Henry Paley. These included the addition of a font in 1860, an organ gallery in 1888, chancel stalls in 1899, and a new baptistry in 1901; the baptistry cost £4,000 (£0 in 2015).

The golden jubilee of the church was celebrated in 1909, and a number of alterations were made under the direction of Giles Gilbert Scott. These included a new altar, replacement of the tiles on the floor by black and white marble, re-flooring of the nave, painting the walls, and replacing the pine benches by oak pews. In 1924 the Diocese of Lancaster was created and the church was elevated to the status of a cathedral. The cathedra (bishop's throne) was placed in the chancel. When the centenary was celebrated in 1959, the pipe organ was refurbished, and the painted Stations of the Cross were replaced by a set of carvings. Since then, there have been further minor changes to the interior of the cathedral, and in 1995 the east end was reordered by Francis Roberts.

Exterior
The cathedral is constructed in sandstone ashlar, with roofs of slate, other than the baptistry which is roofed in copper. The architectural style is Gothic Revival. Its plan consists of a five-bay nave with a clerestory, aisles and transepts, a two-bay chancel with aisles, side chapels, and a semi-octagonal apse. The steeple stands at the northeast corner, and the octagonal baptistry is attached to the north transept. The steeple consists of a tower with a spire rising to a height of 240 ft. The tower is in four stages that are separated by string courses, and it has a stair turret at the northwest corner. On the west side of the bottom stage of the tower is a gabled north porch, above which is a canopied niche containing a statue of St Peter, and a three-light window. On each side of the second stage is a row of six arches, the central two arches containing windows, and on each side of the third stage is a small window. The top stage contains paired bell openings, and at the corner of the parapet are pinnacles. The spire is recessed, and has three tiers of lucarnes. At the west end of the church is a doorway, above which is a five-light window containing Geometric tracery. Along the sides of the aisles are three-light windows with Decorated tracery. In the north transept is a four-light window with Geometric tracery, and the south transept contains a ten-light wheel window surrounded by ten circular windows. In the apse are three-light windows containing decorated tracery.

Interior
Inside the cathedral are six-bay north and south arcades, and a west gallery carried on marble piers. Along the sides are chapels and confessionals. The Lady Chapel is at the northeast of the cathedral. The former sanctuary has been converted into the Blessed Sacrament Chapel, which has paintings on its walls. To the west of the chapel, behind the high altar, is a large reredos designed by Scott; this consists of a triptych containing paintings and carvings. The baptistry contains a central marble font, an altar with a reredos, and stained glass windows by Shrigley and Hunt. There is more stained glass by the same firm elsewhere in the cathedral, and other windows are by Hardman. Also in the church are monuments, one dating from about 1860 by Richard Westmacott, junior. The original organ in St Peter's was moved from the mission church in Dalton Square. This was replaced in 1889 by a new, three-manual organ by Henry Ainscough of Preston. Alterations were made to it in 1976 by Pendlebury of Cleveleys. As of 2012 it is being restored by Henry Willis and Sons of Liverpool. There is a ring of ten bells. Eight of these were cast in 1879 by John Warner and Sons, the other two in 1948 by Mears and Stainbank at the Whitechapel Bell Foundry.

Assessment
St Peter's was designated as a Grade II* listed building on 10 November 1994. Grade II* buildings are defined as being "particularly important buildings of more than special interest"; only 5.5% of the listed buildings are included in this grade. In the Buildings of England series, Hartwell and Pevsner express the opinion that the church is the "chef d'oeuvre" of Paley's works. They also describe the baptistry as being a "tour de force". In his book about the architectural practice of Sharpe, Paley and Austin, Brandwood expresses the opinion that the building is "Paley's masterwork as an independent church architect".

Today
The building is in active use as a Roman Catholic cathedral, which arranges Masses and other regular services, and organises concerts and other events. The cathedral is open daily to visitors, and arranges group and educational visits.

title: Lancaster Cathedral


text:
John L. Murray (judge)

John Loyola Murray (27 June 1943 – 18 January 2023) was an Irish judge who served as Chief Justice of Ireland from 2004 to 2011, a judge of the Supreme Court from 1999 to 2015, a judge of the European Court of Justice from 1992 to 1999 and as Attorney General of Ireland from August 1982 to December 1982 and 1987 to 1991.

Early career
Murray was born in Limerick on 27 June 1943. He was educated at Crescent College, Limerick, Rockwell College, County Tipperary, University College Dublin, and the Honorable Society of King's Inns. He was twice elected President of the Union of Students in Ireland in 1966/67. He qualified as a barrister in 1967 and had a successful law practice dealing with commercial, civil, and constitutional law.

Attorney General
Murray was Attorney General of Ireland under the Fianna Fáil government from 17 August to 14 December 1982. The Taoiseach, Charles Haughey, appointed him as Attorney General after his predecessor, Patrick Connolly, resigned abruptly over the GUBU scandal, when a murderer Malcolm McArthur was arrested in Connolly's Dalkey flat.

His next term in office as Attorney General extended from 11 March 1987 to 25 September 1991. In 1988, he refused to allow the extradition of Fr. Patrick Ryan to Britain on explosives charges dealing with the Provisional IRA, on the basis that the trial he would be given would not be fair due to excessive media coverage and remarks made in Parliament by the British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher which were considered prejudicial.

Judicial career
In 1991, he was appointed a Judge of the European Court of Justice serving until 1999, when he was appointed to the Irish Supreme Court.

Murray served on the Supreme Court from 1999. He was appointed Chief Justice of Ireland in 2004.

In 2011, Chief Justice Murray became involved in controversy with the Government over a proposal to amend the Constitution to allow the remuneration of judges to be reduced in parallel to the remuneration of public servants in State employment.

The criticisms of the Government's plans were contained in a 12-page critique by Chief Justice Murray, and the President of the High Court, Nicholas Kearns, and published in the Court Services website, but subsequently redacted at the request of the Government.

He retired as Chief Justice in 2011, though he remained a member of the Supreme Court until 2015.

Chancellor of the University of Limerick
Murray was appointed Chancellor of the University of Limerick (and so also Chairman of UL's Governing Authority) in 2013.

Telephone tapping inquiry
In January 2016, it was announced that the Minister for Justice and Equality had appointed Murray to conduct a review of the legislation allowing access to the phone records of journalists. Murray was asked to propose any legislative changes required, and to examine the legislation in other countries and examine best international practice in this area.

Personal life and death
Murray was married to Gabrielle Walsh, daughter of Brian Walsh, a former Supreme Court judge, described as "one of Ireland's greatest judges" and the "outstanding legal reforming mind of his generation" by Prof. John J. Lee.

His brother, Michael D. Murray, is State Solicitor for Limerick City.

Murray died on 18 January 2023, at the age of 79.

title: John L. Murray (judge)


text: User talk:130.39.245.226

title: User talk:130.39.245.226


text: Category:Finnish singers

title: Category:Finnish singers


text:
User talk:Publicenemy

Please do not insert political material expressing a POV agenda into Wikipedia articles. -- Cecropia | Talk 17:57, 4 Aug 2004 (UTC)

title: User talk:Publicenemy


text:
Talk:American Black Duck

Untitled
This does not look like Daffy. Gzuckier 17:58, 4 Aug 2004 (UTC)

Why is there a picture of a Mallard on this page? Aliter 18:51, 18 Jun 2005 (UTC)

Both the USGS page and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology page (both cited below) say that the black duck is a large dabbling duck so I changed it from the incorrect "medium-sized".

Identity of drake in lead photo
I suspect the male is a a 2nd or third generation hybrid: a backcross with a Mallard X Black Duck hybrid. It has green in the crown--a feature not shown by pure Black Ducks. Suggest we replace the photo. Natureguy1980 (talk) 03:54, 29 November 2009 (UTC)

Yes, and jams gone up 4pence. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 209.74.40.101 (talk) 23:02, 10 February 2010 (UTC)

Move discussion in progress
There is a move discussion in progress on Talk:Trumpeter Swan which affects this page. Please participate on that page and not in this talk page section. Thank you. —RMCD bot 13:45, 10 May 2014 (UTC)

Move discussion in progress
There is a move discussion in progress on Talk:Trumpeter swan which affects this page. Please participate on that page and not in this talk page section. Thank you. —RMCD bot 22:00, 10 May 2014 (UTC)

title: Talk:American Black Duck


text:
Wikipedia:WikiProject C/C++/Organization

Digests
''The following lists were collected from Special:Whatlinkshere/C programming language. Items should be crossed out if they have no particular relevance to the C language; for example, much software is written in C but not otherwise relevant, whereas libraries are extensions of C used to write software.''

Algorithms

 * Adler-32
 * Alpha-beta pruning
 * Block cipher modes of operation
 * Delta encoding
 * Duff's device
 * Dynamic memory allocation
 * Pigeonhole sort
 * Pseudorandom number generator
 * Quicksort
 * Selection sort
 * Tail recursion modulo cons
 * Tiny Encryption Algorithm
 * Xor swap algorithm

Books and other publications

 * Byte magazine
 * Jargon File
 * Linux Journal
 * Lions' Commentary on UNIX 6th Edition, with Source Code
 * The Answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything
 * The Best Page in the Universe
 * The C Programming Language (book)
 * Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus
 * Man page

Companies

 * Bell Labs
 * Digital Equipment Corporation
 * Digital Research
 * Standards Performance Evaluation Corporation

Compilers

 * Common subexpression elimination
 * Compiler directive
 * Compiler optimization
 * Dispatch table
 * Preprocessing
 * Preprocessor
 * Syntax analysis

Computer architecture

 * 64-bit
 * Access violation
 * Bus error
 * Byte
 * Char
 * Datatype
 * Endianness
 * Fixed-point arithmetic
 * Long
 * Memory manager
 * Memory mapped IO
 * Message Passing Interface
 * Model view controller triad
 * Standard streams
 * Unix epoch
 * UTF-8

Computer science

 * Common operator notation
 * Halting problem
 * Metalinguistic abstraction
 * Ousterhout's dichotomy
 * Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis

Contests

 * ACM International Collegiate Programming Contest
 * The International Obfuscated C Code Contest

File formats

 * au file format
 * COFF
 * RIFF
 * TenDRA Distribution Format
 * XPM (image format)
 * ZIP file format

Functions

 * fopen
 * fork (computing)
 * malloc
 * printf

Hardware

 * Acorn RISC Machine
 * AS/400
 * Atmel AVR
 * Deep Blue (chess computer)
 * Game Boy Advance
 * Intel 8086
 * Lego Mindstorms
 * Mainframe computer
 * Motorola 68000
 * Supercomputer
 * TI-89
 * TRS-80 Color Computer

Headers

 * errno.h

History

 * 1970s
 * Mac OS X history
 * Timeline of computing 1950-1979
 * Timeline of programming languages
 * Year 2000 problem

Non-programming languages

 * B specification language
 * SQL

C

 * ANSI C
 * C (programming language)
 * C language union
 * C library
 * C shell
 * C standard library
 * C string
 * C syntax

C variants

 * C++
 * Lattice C
 * Objective-C
 * QuakeC
 * Small-C
 * Turbo C

Related to C

 * Action Code Script
 * B (programming language)
 * CPP
 * Yacc

Concepts

 * Line of code
 * Polyglot (computing)
 * Quine

Language families

 * Compiled language
 * Curly brace family
 * Domain-specific language
 * Dynamic programming language
 * Free-form language
 * Interface description language
 * Low-level programming language
 * Procedural programming language
 * Programming language
 * Scripting programming language
 * Strict programming language
 * Subset-equational language
 * System programming language
 * Third generation language
 * Typed and untyped languages

Other

 * A sharp
 * ABC (programming language)
 * ABCL/c plus
 * AS/400 Control Language
 * Atari BASIC
 * AWK
 * Ada (programming language)
 * Amiga E
 * Applesoft BASIC
 * BASIC
 * Basic Combined Programming Language
 * Brainfuck
 * Bywater BASIC
 * ChucK
 * Cg (programming language)
 * CLU programming language
 * COBOL
 * Common Lisp
 * Clean (programming language)
 * Clipper (programming language)
 * Csound
 * Cyclone (programming language)
 * D (programming language)
 * DASL (programming language)
 * ECMAScript
 * Eiffel (programming language)
 * Emacs Lisp
 * Escapade
 * Euphoria (programming language)
 * Forth (programming language)
 * GRASS (programming language)
 * Hardware description language
 * IBASIC
 * INTERCAL
 * Java (programming language)
 * Kyoto Common Lisp
 * Lex programming language
 * Lisp (programming language)
 * Lua (programming language)
 * Mesa (programming language)
 * Modula-2
 * Numerical Python
 * Objective Caml
 * Pascal (programming language)
 * PHP
 * PL/M
 * Perl
 * Python (programming language)
 * Q (programming language from Kx Systems)
 * REALbasic
 * Real-time Cmix
 * S-Lang
 * SWIG
 * Sather
 * ScriptBasic
 * Self (programming language)
 * Standard ML
 * SuperCollider
 * Tcl
 * TOM (object-oriented programming language)
 * UltraHLE
 * Verilog
 * YAML
 * Yorick
 * YSM

Libraries

 * Agar (engine)
 * Allegro library
 * Basic Object System
 * Berkeley DB
 * Berkeley sockets
 * Bignum
 * CORBA
 * GLib
 * GNOME
 * GTK+
 * LibTom Project
 * Link grammar
 * Microsoft Foundation Classes
 * Qt toolkit
 * QuickTime
 * Simple DirectMedia Layer
 * SQLite
 * Standard header
 * UClibc

Lists

 * Categorical list of programming languages
 * Generational list of programming languages
 * List of acronyms
 * List of articles with C programs
 * List of computer programming terms
 * List of computer scientists
 * List of computer term etymologies
 * List of computing topics
 * List of ISO standards
 * List of letters used in mathematics and science
 * List of open source software packages
 * List of people by name: Tf-Th
 * List of programmers
 * List of programming languages
 * List of software engineering topics
 * List of standards topics

Mathematics

 * 0 (number)
 * 9000 (number)
 * Absolute value
 * Associativity
 * Exclusive disjunction
 * Floor function
 * Hexadecimal
 * Matrix (mathematics)
 * Modular arithmetic
 * Modulus

Organizations

 * Association of C and C Plus Plus Users
 * GNU
 * GNU/Linux naming controversy

Paradigms

 * Defensive programming
 * Functional programming
 * Imperative programming
 * Jackson Structured Programming
 * Literate programming
 * Object-oriented programming
 * Programming paradigm
 * Structured programming
 * System programming

People

 * Andre LaMothe
 * Brian Kernighan
 * Dennis Ritchie
 * Egon Zakrajsek
 * Eric S. Raymond
 * Henry Spencer
 * Ken Thompson

Philosophy

 * Unix philosophy
 * Worse is better

Programming

 * Code coverage
 * Dynamic debugging technique
 * Format string attacks
 * Game programmer
 * Hello world program
 * Hungarian notation
 * Identifier naming convention
 * Indent style
 * Obfuscated code
 * Osdev
 * Programming style
 * Programming tool
 * Server-side scripting
 * Stale pointer bug
 * Syntax highlighting

Programming tools

 * Autoconf
 * CWEB
 * Doxygen

Compilers

 * BCC
 * cc
 * Distcc
 * DJGPP
 * EGCS
 * GNU Compiler Collection

Debuggers

 * dbx debugger
 * GNU Debugger

Development

 * Arianne
 * Game Maker
 * KDevelop
 * Kylix
 * Macintosh Programmer's Workshop
 * TADS
 * Xcode

Concepts

 * 16-bit application
 * 32-bit application
 * Free software
 * System software

Editors

 * Emacs
 * Gosling Emacs

Operating systems

 * Carbon (computing)
 * DragonFly BSD
 * Linux
 * Linux kernel
 * Microsoft Windows
 * Minix
 * OpenVMS
 * OS-9
 * Plan 9
 * Unix

Other

 * AberMUD
 * BitchX
 * BLISS (programming language)
 * Bogofilter
 * Championship Manager
 * Chdir
 * Computer algebra system
 * DBASE
 * Dc (Unix)
 * Dillo
 * DotGNU
 * E equational theorem prover
 * Frotz
 * GiFT
 * GNUnet
 * GROMACS
 * ImageMagick
 * Inkscape
 * Irssi
 * Kent Recursive Calculator
 * LabVIEW
 * LPC
 * Mathematica
 * MATLAB
 * Maya (software)
 * Microsoft Outlook
 * Midgard (software)
 * MINC
 * Moria (computer game)
 * MySQL
 * NCUBE
 * Openbox
 * OpenMP
 * OpenSSL
 * PARI-GP computer algebra system
 * Physics Analysis Workstation
 * PostgreSQL
 * Project Xanadu
 * Pwd
 * Quake
 * Quake III Arena
 * RenderMan
 * SCADA
 * Second Life
 * SISAL
 * SPICE
 * SpiderMonkey
 * SPlint
 * Troff
 * Wget
 * WinNuke
 * Workplace Shell

Standards

 * IEEE floating-point standard
 * ISO 9899
 * Japanese Industrial Standard
 * LDAP Application Program Interface
 * Single UNIX Specification

Symbols

 * Ampersand
 * Backslash
 * Carriage return
 * Comma (punctuation)
 * Line feed
 * New line
 * Null character
 * Question mark
 * Semicolon

Terminology

 * Array
 * Assertion (computing)
 * Associative array
 * Bitwise operation
 * Buffer overflow
 * Call
 * Call Level Interface
 * CamelCase
 * Case sensitivity
 * Cast (computer science)
 * Character string (computer science)
 * Comment (computer programming)
 * Composite type
 * Composition
 * Constant propagation
 * Continuation
 * Control flow
 * Coroutine
 * Cross-platform
 * Cyclometric complexity
 * Cyclone
 * Data acquisition
 * Debugging
 * Declaration
 * Default argument
 * Digraph (computing)
 * Dynamically typed
 * Eclipse (computing)
 * End-of-file
 * enum
 * Equals (computing)
 * Evaluation
 * For loop
 * Fragile base class
 * Function object
 * Goto
 * Idempotent
 * Illegal prime
 * Indent
 * Indirection
 * Infinite loop
 * In-line expansion
 * Internet slang
 * Interpreter (computing)
 * Lazy evaluation
 * Linked list
 * Macro
 * Memory leak
 * Method (computer science)
 * Name binding
 * Name decoration
 * Namespace (programming)
 * Object Composition
 * Off-by-one error
 * Operator overloading
 * Optimization (computer science)
 * Out-of-band
 * Parameter (computer science)
 * Pointer
 * Pointer arithmetic
 * Polymorphism (computer science)
 * Porting
 * Primitive type
 * Pseudocode
 * Rebasing
 * Reconfigurable system
 * Record (computer science)
 * Regex
 * Return type
 * Runtime
 * Source code
 * Statement block
 * Static scoping
 * Subroutine
 * Syntactic sugar
 * Tagged union
 * Thread-safe
 * Trigraph
 * Union (computer science)
 * Value (computer science)
 * While loop
 * Wild pointer
 * Working directory
 * Zeroth

Discussions

 * Talk:Algorithm
 * Talk:ANSI C standard library
 * Talk:C language union
 * Talk:Computer
 * Talk:C Plus Plus
 * Talk:C programming language
 * Talk:Crippleware
 * Talk:Csound
 * Talk:Inheritance (computer science)
 * Talk:Knuth-Morris-Pratt algorithm
 * Talk:List of programmers
 * Talk:List of programming languages
 * Talk:Mathematician
 * Talk:MySQL
 * Talk:Pseudorandom number generator
 * Talk:Radix sort
 * Talk:Timeline of programming languages
 * Talk:Window class

User namespace

 * User talk:Cadr
 * User talk:Cgranade

Wikipedia namespace

 * Wikipedia talk:Section

Users

 * User:Bigsmoke
 * User:Bjmcculloch
 * User:Bth/ToDoFeatured
 * User:Cadr
 * User:Cheeni
 * User:Christopher Morris
 * User:CYD
 * User:Daniel Quinlan/redirects6c
 * User:DavidCary
 * User:Dcoetzee
 * User:Déjà Vu
 * User:Derek
 * User:Doug Pardee/Working
 * User:Drj
 * User:Eadric
 * User:EdwardSabol
 * User:Emperorbma
 * User:Fredrik
 * User:Gamma
 * User:GaryW
 * User:Goblin
 * User:GoGi
 * User:GRAHAMUK
 * User:Jnc
 * User:Jon787
 * User:Joshua Yu-Hu Lee
 * User:Kenny sh
 * User:LapoLuchini
 * User:Marcus-e
 * User:Mikefz
 * User:MikeWarren
 * User:Parmentier
 * User:Peterklevy
 * User:Pizza Puzzle/stuff
 * User:Psb777
 * User:Raban
 * User:Rj
 * User:Shane Lin
 * User:Sundar
 * User:Timc
 * User:Wilbern Cobb
 * User:XChaos
 * User:XJamRastafire

Wikipedia namespace

 * Algorithms on Wikipedia
 * Featured article candidates
 * Featured article candidates/Featured log
 * Featured articles
 * Ignored feature requests

Redirect pages

 * C language
 * C programming
 * C (programming language)
 * K and R
 * K and R C

Miscellaneous

 * Auto rickshaw


text: Category:Jamaican athletes

title: Category:Jamaican athletes


text:
Via Francigena

The Via Francigena is an ancient road and pilgrimage route running from the cathedral city of Canterbury in England, through France and Switzerland, to Rome and then to Apulia, Italy, where there were ports of embarkation for the Holy Land. It was known in Italy as the "Via Francigena" ("the road that comes from France") or the "Via Romea Francigena" ("the road to Rome that comes from France"). In medieval times it was an important road and pilgrimage route for those wishing to visit the Holy See and the tombs of the apostles Peter and Paul.

History of the pilgrimage to Rome
In the Middle Ages, Via Francigena was the major pilgrimage route to Rome from the north. The route was first documented as the "Lombard Way", and was first called the Iter Francorum (the "Frankish Route") in the Itinerarium sancti Willibaldi of 725, a record of the travels of Willibald, bishop of Eichstätt in Bavaria. It was Via Francigena-Francisca in Italy and Burgundy, the Chemin des Anglois in the Frankish Kingdom (after the evangelisation of England in 607) and also the Chemin Romieu, the road to Rome. The name Via Francigena is first mentioned in the Actum Clusio, a parchment of 876 in the Abbey of San Salvatore at Monte Amiata (Tuscany).

At the end of the 10th century Sigeric, the Archbishop of Canterbury, used the Via Francigena to and from Rome in order to receive his pallium; he recorded his route and his stops on the return journey, but nothing in the document suggests that the route was then new, nor if he made the journey by foot or on horseback.

Later itineraries to Rome include the Leiðarvísir og borgarskipan of the Icelandic traveller Nikolás Bergsson (in 1154) and the one from Philip Augustus of France (in 1191). Two somewhat differing maps of the route appear in manuscripts of Matthew Paris, Historia Anglorum, from the 13th century.

The Welsh king Rhodri Mawr in 880 and his grandson Hywel Dda in 945 are both known to have visited Rome towards the end of their lives, but it is not known whether they went by land or by sea via the Straits of Gibraltar. The Benedictine William of St-Thierry used the roads towards Rome on several occasions at the end of the 11th century. The return journey by sea was likely to be easier, thanks to the prevailing south-westerly winds, but tacking down to the Mediterranean would have made a very long journey indeed.

The Via Francigena was not a single road, like a Roman road, paved with stone blocks and provided at intervals with a change of horses for official travellers. Rather, it comprised several possible routes that changed over the centuries as trade and pilgrimage waxed and waned. Depending on the time of year, the political situation, and the relative popularity of the shrines of the saints situated along the route, travellers may have used any of three or four crossings of the Alps and the Apennines. The Lombards financed the maintenance and security of the section of road through their territories as a trading route to the north from Rome, avoiding enemy-held cities such as Florence. Unlike Roman roads, the Via Francigena did not connect cities but relied more on abbeys.

Sigeric's itinerary
In around 990, Archbishop Sigeric journeyed from Canterbury to Rome and back, but only documented his itinerary on the return journey, taken in 80 stages averaging about 20 km a day, for a total of some 1700 km.

Modern pilgrims from England would follow Sigeric's route in the reverse order, and so would set off from the zero milestone in the South Porch of Canterbury Cathedral. Pilgrim passports are available from The Beaney Museum in Canterbury or from the information office of the Cathedral. Canons based at Canterbury Cathedral can also be arranged to offer blessings to pilgrims setting off on the journey. Modern pilgrims would then follow the route, walking out of Canterbury via St Martin's Church, Canterbury, which is the oldest church in England still in use as a Church. Heading onwards, pilgrims pick up the first stamp in their pilgrim passport at to the village church of St. Mary's in Patrixbourne. It is possible to "Champ" and stay by arrangement at St. Mary's. Heading on towards the English coast, pilgrims would travel through the Kentish villages of Womenswold and Woolage Green before arriving in Shepherdswell which is the end of the first stage (of 79 stages). The second stage continues to Dover via the Waldershare Park Estate and then joins the old Roman Road at Studdal outside Dover, to walk into the town. Pilgrims then cross the Channel to Sumeran (now called Sombres), landing at the village of Wissant. The route continues through Guînes (Sigeric's Gisne), Thérouanne (Teranburh), Bruay (Bruaei), and Arras (Atherats), before continuing on to Reims, Châlons-sur-Marne, Bar-sur-Aube, Langres, Champlitte, Besançon, Pontarlier, Lausanne and Saint-Maurice. From Saint-Maurice, the route traverses the Great St. Bernard Pass to Aosta and then to Ivrea, Vercelli, Pavia, Fidenza, Pontremoli, Filattiera, Aulla, Luni, Lucca, San Gimignano, Poggibonsi, Siena, San Quirico d'Orcia, Bolsena, Viterbo, Sutri, and finally Rome.

The final stretch towards the Apulian ports

From Rome, the path followed for a long stretch the Via Appia or the parallel Via Latina up to Benevento. From that town Via Traiana was taken up the Campanian Apennines and Daunian Mountains, where castello di Crepacuore stood, a fortress held by the Knights of Jerusalem in order to guarantee the safety of pilgrims along the mountain stretch. The road, therefore, reached Troia, in the high plain of Tavoliere delle Puglie (where Via Francigena is attested since 1024), and then continued towards Bari, Brindisi and Otranto, the main ports of embarkation for the Holy Land.

Today
Today some pilgrims still follow in Sigeric's ancient footsteps and travel on foot, on horseback or by bicycle on the Via Francigena, although there are far fewer pilgrims on this route than on the Way of St. James pilgrims' route to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. Roughly 50,000 pilgrims were estimated to have walked the Via Francigena in 2022. In 2011, James Saward-Anderson and Maxwell Hannah ran the entire route for Water Aid. They completed the route unassisted in 58 days.

Accommodation
Due to the scarcity of dedicated pilgrims' accommodation along the Via Francigena, pilgrims often camp out rather than stay in hotels or pensions. However, increasingly in Italy, some monasteries and religious houses offer dedicated pilgrim accommodation. These are called spedali and — like the refugios found on the Way of St. James in France and Spain — they offer cheap and simple dormitory-style accommodation. Spedali accept pilgrims who bear a valid credenziale (pilgrim's passport), usually for one night only. Some places offer meals as well. In Kent, local churches often encourage pilgrims to "Champ" (camp in a church) and some of the churches along the Via Francigena have contacts on their website to allow pilgrims to arrange this. There is an accommodation list online which regularly updated and published by the Confraternity of Pilgrims to Rome

As of 2016, the old guest houses dedicated to pilgrims were not reconditioned by tourist operators, due to the lack of economic return.

The state and path of the route
Only a few decades ago, interest in the Via Francigena was limited to scholars. This began to change in recent years when many who, after travelling the Way of St. James in Spain, wanted to make the pilgrimage to Rome on foot as well. In Italy, this gave birth to a network of lovers of the Via Francigena, who with paint and brush, began to mark its trails and paths. These people were joined by religious and local government agencies who also tried to recover the original route. Where possible today's route follows the ancient one but sometimes it deviates from the historical path in favour of paths and roads with low traffic. The potential for the tourist trade in Italy has been recognised but this has also led some to gain unfair economic advantage by diverting the path so that it passes next to their business, thus increasing footfall. In England, the Via Francigena starts at the southern portico of Canterbury’s cathedral where the milestone zero of the route is located. The route passes through part of the county of Kent, from Canterbury to the ferries at Dover.

In France, the Via Francigena (given the Grande Randonnée designation 'GR145') goes through the régions Hauts-de-France, Grand-Est and Bourgogne-Franche-Comté before reaching the Swiss border.

In Switzerland, the Via Francigena (with the route designation '70') goes through the cantons of Vaud and Valais.

In Italy the Via Francigena goes through the Regione of Valle d'Aosta, Piedmont, Lombardy, Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany, and finally about halfway through Lazio to Rome.

Walkers could choose to walk along the EuroVelo EV5 cycling route which bears the name 'Via Francigena'. However, this EuroVelo route varies substantially from Sigeric's route and the one given by the Via Francigena Association.

In 1994 the Via Francigena was designated a Cultural Route, and in 2004 a Major Cultural Route.

In November 2009, the Italian government launched a project to recover the Italian leg of it. The object of the plan is to recover the entire route (disjointed parts of which are already signposted) "not only in spiritual and religious terms but also in terms of the environment, architecture, culture, history, wine and cuisine and sport". The initiative was promoted by the Region of Tuscany, which hosts 400 km of the Via, and which presented a plan detailing the low environmental impact infrastructures to be created. The plan will be shared with other local authorities located along the route as an encouragement to carry out similar recovery work. Tuscany has also announced cooperation with the Opera Romana Pellegrinaggi (ORP), the Vatican’s organisation for encouraging pilgrimages.

The final stretch, from Rome to the Apulian ports of embarkation for Jerusalem, has been renamed Via Francigena nel Sud (in Italian "Via Francigena in the South (Italy)") or else Vie Francigene del Sud ("The Francigena Ways to the South").

Via Francigena associations

 * Asociación de la vía Francígena en España
 * Association Internationale Via Francigena Active since 1997 promoting cultural and tourist awareness of the Via Francigena to Roma
 * Confraternity of Pilgrims to Rome United Kingdom pilgrim association providing information on the Via Francigena
 * European Association of Vie Francigene Information on the route through Italy
 * Dutch Association Dutch Association of pilgrims walking or cycling to Rome
 * Via Francigena Association in Switzerland
 * EUROVIA Austrian pilgrim Association supporting pilgrims to Rome (German/English/Italian)
 * Camminando sulla Via Francigena. The Italian Community of pilgrims 3.0 (choose your language)

Related routes

 * La Francigena in Garfagnana Route between Aulla and Lucca through the Garfagnana in Italy (in Italian)
 * Via Francigena di San Francesco Route from Roma to Rieti
 * Via Francigena Appia Pedemontana Route from Roma to Formia

title: Via Francigena


text:
List of rulers of Orungu

The combination of heredity succession to the election. The king is elected by heads of clans, among the son or brothers of King deceased mother's side. This procedure ensures that all clans have a chance to power.

List of Agamwinboni (Rulers) of Orungu Dynasty (Gabon)
Source : the genealogy has been taken from : Mandji.net

title: List of rulers of Orungu


text:
Jonas

Jonas may refer to:

Geography

 * Jonas, Netherlands, Netherlands
 * Jonas, Pennsylvania, United States
 * Jonas Ridge, North Carolina, United States

Arts, entertainment, and media

 * Jonas Brothers, American pop rock band.
 * Jonas (TV series), a television series starring the Jonas Brothers
 * Jonas (novel), a 1955 novel by Jens Bjørneboe
 * Jonas, a character in The Giver by Lois Lowry
 * Jonas, an oratorio by Italian composer Giacomo Carissimi
 * I Am Jonas, a 2018 French film, original title Jonas
 * Jonas, a character in Dark, a German television series produced by Netflix

Religion

 * Jonah or Jonas, a prophet in the Hebrew Bible
 * Jonas, one of two Jeneum (figures in the Book of Mormon)

People

 * Jonas (name), people with the given name or surname Jonas
 * Jonas (footballer, born 1943), full name Jonas Bento de Carvalho, Brazilian football midfielder
 * Jonas (footballer, born 1972), full name Carlos Emanuel Romeu Lima, Angolan football midfielder
 * Jonas (footballer, born 1983), full name Jonas Brignoni dos Santos, Brazilian football defender
 * Jonas (footballer, born 1984), full name Jonas Gonçalves Oliveira, Brazilian football forward
 * Jonas (footballer, born 1987), full name Jonas Jessue da Silva Júnior, Brazilian football defender
 * Jonas (footballer, born 1991), full name Jonas Gomes de Sousa, Brazilian football midfielder

Other uses

 * JOnAS, an application server
 * Storm Jonas, January 2016 United States winter storm
 * Jonas (crustacean), a genus of crustaceans in the family Corystidae

title: Jonas


text:
Rangeland

Rangelands are grasslands, shrublands, woodlands, wetlands, and deserts that are grazed by domestic livestock or wild animals. Types of rangelands include tallgrass and shortgrass prairies, desert grasslands and shrublands, woodlands, savannas, chaparrals, steppes, and tundras. Rangelands do not include forests lacking grazable understory vegetation, barren desert, farmland, or land covered by solid rock, concrete and/or glaciers.

Rangelands are distinguished from pasture lands because they grow primarily native vegetation, rather than plants established by humans. Rangelands are also managed principally with practices such as managed livestock grazing and prescribed fire rather than more intensive agricultural practices of seeding, irrigation, and the use of fertilizers.

Grazing is an important use of rangelands but the term rangeland is not synonymous with grazingland. Livestock grazing can be used to manage rangelands by harvesting forage to produce livestock, changing plant composition, or reducing fuel loads.

Fire is also an important regulator of range vegetation, whether set by humans or resulting from lightning. Fires tend to reduce the abundance of woody plants and promote herbaceous plants including grasses, forbs, and grass-like plants. The suppression or reduction of periodic wildfires from desert shrublands, savannas, or woodlands frequently invites the dominance of trees and shrubs to the near exclusion of grasses and forbs.

Rangelands cover approximately 80 million square kilometers globally, with 9.5 million square kilometers protected and 67 million square kilometers used for livestock production. These areas sustain about 1 billion animals, managed by pastoralists across over 100 countries, illustrating their crucial role in both ecological conservation and agricultural productivity.

The United Nations (UN) has declared 2026 the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists, with the Food and Agriculture Organization leading the initiative.

Etymology and definition
The United States Environmental Protection Agency defines rangeland as "lands on which the native vegetation (climax or natural potential plant community) is predominantly grasses, grass-like plants, forbs, or shrubs suitable for grazing or browsing use." The EPA classifies natural grassland and savannas as rangeland, and in some cases includes wetlands, deserts, tundra, and "certain forb and shrub communities." The primary difference between rangeland and pasture is management; rangelands tend to have natural vegetation along with a few introduced plant species, but all managed by grazing, while pastures have forage that is adapted for livestock and managed, by seeding, mowing, fertilization and irrigation.

Types of rangeland
According to the UNCCD, 35% of rangelands are deserts and xeric shrublands, 26% tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas and shrublands, 15% tundra, 13% temperate grasslands, savannahs and shrublands, 6% montane grasslands and shrublands, 4% mediterranean forests, woodlands and scrub, as well as 1% flooded grasslands and savannahs.

Prairie
Prairies are considered part of the temperate grasslands, savannas and shrublands biome by ecologists, based on similar temperate climates, moderate rainfall, and grasses, herbs, and shrubs, rather than trees, as the dominant vegetation type. Temperate grassland regions include the Pampas of Argentina, and the steppes of Eurasia.

Grasslands
Grasslands are areas where the vegetation is dominated by grasses (Poaceae) and other herbaceous (non-woody) plants. However, sedge (Cyperaceae) and rush (Juncaceae) families can also be found. Grasslands occur naturally on all continents except Antarctica. In temperate latitudes, such as northwest Europe and the Great Plains and California in North America, native grasslands are dominated by perennial bunch grass species, whereas in warmer climates annual species form a greater component of the vegetation.

Steppe
Steppe, in physical geography, refers to a biome region characterized by grassland plain without trees apart from those near rivers and lakes. The prairie (especially the shortgrass and mixed prairie) is an example of a steppe, though it is not usually called such. It may be semi-desert, or covered with grass or shrubs or both, depending on the season and latitude. The term is also used to denote the climate encountered in regions too dry to support a forest, but not dry enough to be a desert.

Pampas
Pampas are the fertile South American lowlands that include the Argentine provinces of Buenos Aires, La Pampa, Santa Fe, Entre Ríos and Córdoba, most of Uruguay, and the State of Rio Grande do Sul, in the southernmost end of Brazil covering more than 750000 km2. These vast plains are only interrupted by the low Ventana and Tandil hills near Bahía Blanca and Tandil (Argentina), with a height of 1300 m and 500 m respectively. The climate is mild, with precipitation of 600 mm to 1200 mm, more or less evenly distributed through the year, making the soils appropriate for agriculture. This area is also one of the distinct physiography provinces of the larger Paraná-Paraguay Plain division. These plains contain unique wildlife because of the different terrains around it. Some of this wildlife includes the rhea, the badger, and the prairie chicken.

Shrubland
Shrubland is a plant community characterized by vegetation dominated by shrubs, often also including grasses, herbs, and geophytes. Shrubland may either occur naturally or be the result of human activity. It may be the mature vegetation type in a particular region and remain stable over time, or a transitional community that occurs temporarily as the result of a disturbance, such as fire. A stable state may be maintained by regular natural disturbance such as fire or browsing. Shrubland may be unsuitable for human habitation because of the danger of fire. The term "shrubland" was first coined in 1903.

Woodland
Woodland is a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade. Woodlands may support an understory of shrubs and herbaceous plants including grasses. Woodland may form a transition to shrubland under drier conditions or during early stages of primary or secondary succession. Higher densities and areas of trees, with largely closed canopy, provide extensive and nearly continuous shade are referred to as forest.

Savanna
Savanna is a grassland ecosystem characterized by the trees being sufficiently small or widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach the ground to support an unbroken herbaceous layer consisting primarily of C4 grasses.

Desert
Desert is a landscape or region that receives an extremely low amount of precipitation, defined as areas with an average annual precipitation of less than 250 mm per year, or as areas where more water is lost by evapotranspiration than falls as precipitation. In the Köppen climate classification system, deserts are classed as BWh (hot desert) or BWk (temperate desert). In the Thornthwaite climate classification system, deserts would be classified as arid megathermal climates.

Tundra
Tundra is a biome where the tree growth is hindered by low temperatures and short growing seasons. The term tundra comes through Russian тундра from the Kildin Sami word tūndâr "uplands," "treeless mountain tract." There are three types of tundra: Arctic tundra, alpine tundra, and Antarctic tundra In tundra, the vegetation is composed of dwarf shrubs, sedges and grasses, mosses, and lichens. Scattered trees grow in some tundra. The ecotone (or ecological boundary region) between the tundra and the forest is known as the tree line or timberline.

Uses of rangeland
Rangelands produce a wide variety of goods and services desired by society, including livestock forage (Grazing), wildlife habitat, water, mineral resources, wood products, wildland recreation, open space and natural beauty. The geographic extent and many important resources of rangelands make their proper use and management vitally important to people everywhere.

Economic benefits
Rangelands are vital economic assets, contributing substantially to national economies, particularly through livestock production. For instance, in Ethiopia, rangelands account for 19% of the national GDP, while in Brazil, they contribute one-third of the agribusiness GDP through cattle farming. These vast areas not only support direct agricultural outputs but also bolster related industries, enhancing employment and promoting economic growth. Their management and sustainability are crucial for continuing these economic contributions and supporting the livelihoods dependent on them.

Rangeland degradation challenges
The degradation of Earth's extensive rangelands due to overuse, misuse, climate change, and biodiversity loss represents a significant threat to humanity's food supply and the well-being or survival of billions of people.

In 2024, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) reported that up to 50% of rangelands are degraded. These areas suffer from reduced soil fertility, woody encroachment, erosion, salinization, alkalinization, and soil compaction, which all inhibit plant growth and contribute to drought and fluctuations in precipitation. This degradation is primarily driven by the conversion of pastures to cropland, urban expansion, increasing demands for food, fiber, and fuel, excessive grazing, abandonment by pastoralists, and policies that incentivize overexploitation. The UNCCD further observes that the loss of rangeland attracts little public attention and rarely features in international policy discussions.

Global extent
Rangelands cover up to 8 billion hectares of land globally and therewith 54% of the terrestrial surface. 78% of rangelands occur in drylands.

Canada
Rangeland is a prominent feature of rural Canada. A provincial jurisdiction, administration and policy regarding range use varies across the country. As in many other Commonwealth countries, public tenures on crown land for the purpose of range activities are common in geographically compatible areas. Reconciling the economic needs of ranchers and the need for environmental conservation is one of the primary themes in modern range discourse.

In western Canada, both grassland and forested range are significant. In British Columbia, 70 percent of grassland range is privately owned and 60 percent of the total annual livestock forage requirement is provided by grazing on Crown rangeland (34 million hectares), 80 percent of which is forested range. Grassland range predominates in much of the prairie provinces’ ranching area; however, forested range is particularly important in the boreal region.

Certain rangelands are preserved as provincially-protected areas similar to parks, others are managed as community resources. For example, in Alberta since 2003 there has been legislation allowing the creation of "Heritage Rangelands" within the parks system. As of 2012 there were 2 heritage rangelands and 6 proposed future heritage rangelands run by Alberta Parks. There are also 32 provincial grazing reserves located throughout Alberta administered as public lands by Alberta Sustainable Resource Development. The federal government has administered several "Community Pastures" in Western Canada that were reclaimed lands suffering erosion during the 1930s. In 2012, it was announced that this federal involvement would be phased out over a six-year period.

United States
Of the land within the United States borders, 36% is considered rangeland. The western side of the United States is 53% rangeland. Around 399 million acres (1,610,000 km2) of rangeland are privately owned. The Bureau of Land Management manages about 167 million acres (676,000 km2) of publicly owned rangeland, with the United States Forest Service managing approximately 95 million acres (380,000 km2) more. Ranchers may lease portions of this public rangeland and pay a fee based on the number and type of livestock and the period for which they are on the land.

Historically much of the land in the western United States was used for grazing and much of some states still is. In many of those states, such as Arizona, an open-range law applies which requires a land owner to fence cattle out rather than in; thus cattle are theoretically allowed to roam free. In modern times open-range laws can conflict with urban development as occasional stray cows, bulls, or even herds wander into subdivisions or onto highways.

North American rangelands - grasslands

 * Tall Grass Prairie
 * Mixed Grass Prairie
 * Short Grass Prairie
 * Pacific Bunchgrass
 * Annual Grasslands

North American rangelands - shrublands

 * Sagebrush Steppe
 * Salt Desert Shrublands
 * Desert Shrublands

Australia
Australia’s rangelands extend from tropical savannas in the north dominated by summer rainfall, though large areas of desert in central Australia to the southern rangelands dominated by winter rainfall. They cover approximately 80 per cent of the Australian continent and equate broadly with the ‘Outback’. However, rangelands also occur in higher rainfall areas where limitations other than rainfall restrict use to management of the natural landscape. The rangelands are where values and societal benefits are based primarily on natural resources. They are areas which have not been intensively developed for agriculture but extensive livestock production is a major land use, accounting for 55 per cent of the rangelands. Conservation reserves utilise around 11 per cent of the rangelands and the rangelands have areas of significant biodiversity and natural attractions on a world scale. Although mining and petroleum extraction uses a very small percentage of the rangelands, it economically contributes most to Australia’s Gross Domestic Product compared with other rangeland industries (cattle, sheep and goat production, tourism, harvesting of native products). Indigenous land tenures of various types cover around 59 per cent of the rangelands and overlap with grazing and conservation uses. Although rangelands cover 80 per cent of Australia’s land mass, at the 2016 Census, they were home to just over two per cent of the population (394,000 people), with 28 per cent of rangeland residents identifying as being Indigenous.

South America
Rangelands in South America are located in regions with climate ranging from arid to sub-humid. Annual precipitation in these areas ranges from approximately 150 to 1500 mm (6–60 inches). Within South America, rangelands cover about 33% of the total land area. South American rangelands include; grasslands, shrublands, savannas, and hot and cold deserts. Rangelands in South America exclude hyperarid deserts. Examples of the South American rangelands include the Patagonian Steppe, the Monte, the Pampas, the "Llanos" or  "Cerrado," the "Chaco" and the "Caatinga." The change in the intensity and location of tropical thunderstorms and other weather patterns is the driving force in the climates of southern South America.

Africa
In Kenya, rangelands make up for 85% of the land surface area, and are largely inhabited by nomadic pastoralists who are largely dependent on livestock. This movement often brings along an incursion of different diseases with the common one being the rinderpest virus in the Kenyan wildlife population from the Somali ecosystem.

Asia
In the past, rangelands in western China supported a pastoral economy and large wildlife populations. Now the rangelands have shrunk due to population growth, economic, government, and social factors. Rangeland types in China include; Semi-desert, Dry Alpine Grasslands, Alpine Dwarf Shrub, Wetland types.

title: Rangeland


text:
Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever

The Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever is a medium-sized gundog bred primarily for hunting. It is often referred to as a "toller". It is the smallest of the retrievers, and is often mistaken for a small Golden Retriever. Tollers are intelligent, eager to please, alert, and energetic. The name "toller" is derived from their ability to lure waterfowl within gunshot range. The breed originated in Yarmouth County, Nova Scotia, Canada. The American Kennel Club ranks the toller as the 87th most popular dog breed.

History
The breed was developed in the Acadian community of Little River Harbour in Yarmouth County, Nova Scotia around the beginning of the 19th century. The toller was originally referred to as the Little River Duck Dog before being officially recognized by the Canadian Kennel Club in 1945 as a purebred dog. The toller is a mixture of retriever, spaniel, setter, and possibly a farm collie mongrel, although the latter has yet to be confirmed. The breed was perfected in the second half of the 19th century.

The breed gained national recognition in 1980 and was declared the provincial dog of Nova Scotia in 1995, when two Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers were awarded Best in Show at championship events that included many breeds.

Use in hunting
Tollers are named for their ability to entice or lure waterfowl within gunshot range, which is called "tolling". The hunter stays hidden in a blind and sends the dog out to romp and play near the water, usually by tossing a ball or stick to be retrieved. The dog's appearance is similar to that of a fox. Its unusual activity and white markings pique the curiosity of ducks and geese, which swim over to investigate.

When the birds are close, the hunter calls the dog back to the blind, then rises, putting the birds to flight and allowing themselves a shot. The toller then retrieves any downed birds. They are particularly suited for retrieving in cold water climates because of their water-repellent double coat.

Appearance
Tollers are often mistaken for small Golden Retrievers, but the toller is more active, both physically and mentally. According to the breed standards, the toller is athletic, muscular, compact, medium to heavy boned, balanced and powerful. The toller's chest is deep. Conformation judges require tollers to be capable of tolling and physical faults that inhibit working ability are heavily penalized. They should be of moderate build, with a lack of substance or a heavy build being penalized by judges for detracting from the breed standard and athleticism. A toller's legs are sturdy and solid and they have webbed feet.

Tollers can be any shade of red ranging from a golden red through dark coppery red with lighter featherings on the underside of the tail, pantaloons, and body. The lighter shades of golden red are deeply pigmented and rich in colour. The Toller should not be buff, brown, or beige, though some buff and sable tollers do appear in breeding lines.

It is common for a toller to have at least one of the following white markings: tip of tail, feet (not extending above the pasterns), and chest. Lack of white is not a fault as tollers can be born without white markings. Dogs with white on the shoulders, around ears, back of neck, across back or flanks, or with silvery, grey or black areas in coat are disqualified from conformation shows.

The toller was bred to retrieve from icy waters and must have a water-repellent double coat of medium length and softness and a soft dense undercoat. The coat may have a slight wave on the back but is otherwise straight. Some winter coats may form a long loose curl at the throat. Featherings are soft and moderate in length. The tail is well feathered and held jauntily when the dog is excited or moving. The hair on the muzzle is short and fine. Seasonal shedding is to be expected.

Those who breed Tollers for conformation shows consider the head (clean cut, slightly wedge-shaped) to be an important feature and believe it should resemble that of a fox and must never be blocky like that of a golden retriever. The ears are triangular and set high and well back from the skull. The pigment on a toller's nose, lips, and eye rims should match, appearing either black (which normally fades with age) or liver, blending into the coat. Lips fit fairly tightly around the mouth. The correct bite is a scissor bite with full dentition required. A toller's jaws are strong enough to carry a large bird but they must have a soft mouth, too. Eyes are set well apart, almond shaped, and medium-sized and amber to dark brown in colour. Expression is friendly, alert, and intelligent.

Size and proportions
Tollers are the smallest of all the retriever breeds. They range in height from 17 - 21 in at the withers, and weigh 30 - 50 lb, with females being slightly shorter and lighter. Tollers are a medium-sized breed.

Temperament
Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers are known to be very intelligent, curious, alert, outgoing, and high-energy dogs. They are affectionate, eager to please, busy, and get along well with children. They are good family dogs. However, potential owners should be wary of the physical and mental commitment that is required in order to keep a toller busy. Physical stimulation should be provided for these dogs each day since they may become destructive when they are not exercised enough or are left alone for long periods of time.

Duck Tollers are working animals and are happiest when they have a job to do. Tollers are excellent hunting companions. They excel at many types of sporting competitions such as agility, dock diving, and obedience. Their keen sense of smell, intelligence, drive for work, and small size make them perfect search and rescue dogs. The breed standard states that the dog should have a strong retrieving drive, intense birdiness, endurance, and a love for water.

Tollers do not have an aggressive bark. Some have a unique sounding bark known as the "toller scream", which is a high-pitched howl-like sound which is often referred to as "singing". They do not use this bark in violent situations, rather; the "toller scream" is expressed when they are excited.

Socialization
Tollers have the capacity to be very social dogs as long as they are sufficiently socialized early on in life. While tollers are energetic and outgoing around their owners and family, their cautious nature makes them reserved around strangers. Exposure to new people, locations, smells, and sights are crucial to the healthy development of the toller breed. They tend to get along well with other dogs. However, they have a strong prey drive and may chase after cats or other small animals. Their prey drive can be avoided if cats, for example, are introduced early on in a toller's life. Failure to properly socialize tollers at a young age may result in aggressive, destructive, or timid behaviour in maturity.

Health
A 2024 UK study found a life expectancy of 13.2 years from a sample of 47 deaths for the breed compared to an average of 12.7 for purebreeds and 12 for crossbreeds.

Tollers are generally hardy. However, like almost all dog breeds, certain genetic disorders are known to occur in the breed. This is sometimes blamed on a relatively small gene pool. The Finnish breed club states the largest health problems in the breed tend to be immunity related. They can be affected by eye problems and hip dysplasia and are predisposed to immune-mediated rheumatic disease and steroid-responsive meningitis–arthritis.

Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) affects about 7% of Tollers with an estimated 40% being carriers. The type of PRA associated with the breed is known as progressive rod-cone degeneration. The disease causes cells in the retina to degenerate and die. This causes night blindness at first and eventually complete blindness. Collie eye anomaly is estimated to have a carrier rate of 5% and an affected rate of 0.5%. It generally only causes mildly impaired vision, although in more severe cases it can lead to retinal hemorrhaging and detachments resulting in blindness.

Thyroid problems have been identified by American breeders as a priority issue, together with epilepsy and hip dysplasia. As many as 1 in 6 Tollers may have autoimmune thyroiditis. Symptoms of thyroid problems includes weight gain, skin and hair problems including hair loss, weakness, cold intolerance or infertility.

Addison's disease affected 1% of Tollers in a health survey, an incidence rate 10 times more than the general dog population. Carrier rate is estimated at 18%. This disease is also considered an important issue in the breed. Signs include lethargy, decreased appetite, vomiting, weakness, diarrhea, increased drinking and urination, and shivering.

Aseptic meningitis (sometimes called steroid-responsive meningitis) has been diagnosed in increasing numbers in the Norwegian Toller population in recent years. Symptoms include intensive neck pain, fever, and lethargy. Prevalence is estimated at 2.5% in the Norwegian population.

Health tests are available for both eye diseases and autoimmune thyroiditis. A test for Addison's disease is available but it is only for one form of the disease and there are other forms which also affect the breed. A test is also available for one form of cleft palate that is exclusive to Tollers. Early testing shows a carrier rate of about 15%.

A survey conducted in 2002 by the Canadian Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever breed club to discover which diseases and conditions occur in the Toller population, involving owners of 1180 dogs worldwide, showed 73% reported in excellent health and a total of 7.5% reporting poor or bad health. 141 dogs (12%) were reported as deceased with the average age at death being 6.4 years. The most common cause of death was cancer, reported in 25% of deaths, with old age being the next most common at 9%.

A worldwide study of the Tollers' registration history in 17 countries shows that about 90% of the genetic diversity present in the founding population has been lost. Tollers born between 1999 and 2008 have an effective founder size of 9.8, realized effective population size of 18 and an average inbreeding coefficient of 0.26. Breeders are working to prevent losing heterozygosity and to maintain sufficient genetic variations. High kinship value means the breed is not able to maintain a steady level of inbreeding in the long term.

Activities
The Toller is known to excel in various sporting and obedience activities, and health and safety related jobs. The breeds' high energy and intelligence makes them perfect candidates for difficult jobs that require tremendous dedication and skill. Tollers enjoy working and being outside, therefore, it is no surprise that they excel at various sport and job related activities.

The breed is categorized as a "sporting" dog under the CKC and AKA organizations making tollers ideal dogs for various physical activities. Other kennel clubs such as the AKNC and UKC categorize tollers as a "gundog" which depicts their drive, mental intelligence, and intuitive hunting sense. Kennel clubs throughout the world recognize Tollers as an athletic, intelligent, and a driven breed that has the innate ability to excel in any of the following activities: dog agility, dock jumping, disc catching, flyball, lure coursing, obedience, search and rescue, therapy dog, and hunting.

title: Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever


text: Category:West German athletes

title: Category:West German athletes


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Action at Barfleur

The action at Barfleur was part of the battle of Barfleur-La Hougue during the War of the Grand Alliance. A French fleet under Anne Hilarion de Tourville was seeking to cover an invasion of England by a French army to restore James II to the throne, but was intercepted by an Anglo-Dutch fleet under Edward Russell, 1st Earl of Orford on 19 May Old Style (29 May New Style) 1692.

Background
The fleets sighted each other at first light on the morning of 19 May 1692 off Cap Barfleur on the Cotentin peninsula.

On sighting the allied fleet, at about 6am, Tourville held a council of war with his captains; the advice, and his own opinion, was against action; however, Tourville felt compelled by strict orders from the king to engage. He also may have expected defections from the English fleet by captains with Jacobite sympathies, though in this he was to be disappointed.

In the light south-westerly breeze the fleets slowly closed, Russell from the north east, Tourville, with the weather gage, from the south west, on a starboard tack to bring his line of battle into contact with Russell's. Because of the calm conditions it was not until 11am, 5 hours after first sighting each other, that the two fleets were within range of each other.

Dispositions
The French line was led by the Blue-and-White squadron, 14 ships of the line in three divisions under the flag officers Nesmond, d'Amfreville and Relingue. They were matched by the Dutch White squadron of 26 ships under Almonde, again in three divisions under van der Putte, Gilles Schey and Gerard Callenburgh.

In the centre, the French White squadron (16 ships under Villette Mursay, Tourville and Langeron) opposed the English Red squadron (27 ships under Delaval, Russell and Shovell).

Bringing up the rear, the French Blue squadron (14 ships under Coetlogon, Gabaret and Pannetier) would face the English Blue squadron (29 ships under Carter, Ashby and Rooke).

Tourville re-inforced his centre, the White squadron under his own command, by bringing Coetlogon's division forward in order to engage Russell's Red squadron with something approaching equal numbers, while he refused and extended the line of his White squadron to avoid them being turned and overwhelmed by superior numbers; the rest of his Blue squadron he held back also to keep the advantage of the weather gage.

Russell countered by holding fire as long as possible, to allow the French fleet to close; Almonde tried to extend his line to overlap the French van, while Ashby was still some way off and trying to close. The two fleets were within range at 11am, but both with-held firing for a further 15 minutes, until the Saint Louis (number 4 in the French Blue-and-White squadron) fired on her opposite number; at that the firing became general up and down the line.

Morning
11 am to 1 pm

For the next few hours Tourville's White and Russell's Red squadrons were closely engaged, and causing each other considerable damage. Centurion 50 (Red 7) was engaged by Ambiteux 96 (White 7, Villettes flagship) and severely damaged; Chester 50 (Red 12) was outgunned by Glorieux 64 (White 8) and had to withdraw; Eagle 70 (Red 11) was forced to pull out of the line, with 70 dead, to repair damage, but was able to re-join after emergency repairs; while Grafton 70 (Red 18) suffered 80 casualties, but was able to continue.

On the French side, Soleil Royal 104 (White 10, Tourville's flagship) was engaged by three English ships, Britannia 100, (White 14, Russell's flagship) supported by London 96 (Red 15) and St Andrew 56 (White 13); she was severely damaged, and forced at one point out of the line; Perle 52 (White 7) was shot through and through, and suffered one-third of her crew as casualties. Henri 64 (White 2) and Fort 60 (White 1) were both severely damaged trying to hold the line between the White and the Blue-and-White squadrons, to prevent a gap opening; Henri was battered until she could no longer fight, and only escaped capture when Villette sent boats to tow her to safety; Fort's crew were forced to use sweeps to pull her out of the line for respite.

Afternoon
1pm

At about 1pm the wind, which up to then had been south-westerly, if it blew at all, strengthened and shifted to the east. This gave the benefit of the weather gage to the allies, who immediately took advantage of it. Shovell saw a gap in the French line ahead of him, and steered towards it; his Royal William 100 (23rd in the Red) broke through to engage the French White from both sides. He was followed by the rest of his division, while Kent 70 (Red 22), and St Albans 50 (Red 21), who were ahead of him in the line, pulled round to follow the William through the breach.

Hampton Court 70 and Swiftsure 70 (the Red 19 and 20), which were ahead of them again, remained to the windward of the French, and joined themselves to Russells division. Carter, with the leading Blue division, saw Shovell's action and followed also, giving about a dozen ships doubling the French line.

In the van, the wind enabled Almonde to extend and cross the head of the French line; Nesmond responded by turning his division into the wind also, so that over the next few hours the French Blue-and-White became at right angles to the centre (White).

Shovell's action brought Tourville's ships under fire from both sides; Soleil Royal particularly was hard pressed until Coetlogon, with Magnifique 86 (Blue 3) and Prince 56 (blue 2) interposed.

3pm

By 3 o’clock the French line was curved leeward like a fish-hook; the Blue-and-White was turned back to the centre, with the Dutch extended around them. When Prince 56 (the French Blue 2, in Coetlogon's division) was hotly engaged on both sides, with a third across her stern, she was saved by Monarque 90, Nesmondes flagship.

In the centre, Coetlogon and Tourville were engaged on either side by Shovell and Russell, while Carter was matched by the French rear divisions. To the east, Ashby and Rooke were endeavouring to get into action.

4pm

By 4 o’clock the wind had died, the sea becoming flat calm, and visibility dropping due to battle smoke. The continuous firing also tended to push the embattled ships apart, offering some respite, as both sides were becoming exhausted.

In the van, Nesmonde continued to turn as Almonde continued to extend and turn the line, both sides using boats to tow the ships into position, while in the rear Ashby was also using boats to bring his Blue squadron into the fray. In the poor visibility however he was unable to see Carter, his vice-admiral, who was in the position of advantage with Shovell beyond the French line, and sorely pressed: He continued to head towards the French Blue squadron, which was north of the main action.

5pm

By 5pm the centres were re-engaged; Russell had used his boats to tow his ships back into action. The fog had lifted, cleared by a light breeze. As the wind strengthened, Tourville headed north west towards Carter, in order to fight his way out of the encirclement. Russell pursued, until the wind, unpredictable all day, died away and the mist closed in once more.

Evening
6pm

At around 6pm the tide began to turn; seeking to take advantage of this, and remembering how the English had escaped after the battle of Beachy Head two years before, Tourville had his ships anchor at the end of slack water, with their sails still set. Deceived by this, Russell's squadron was carried away by the flood tide, until they could themselves anchor, now out of range giving the French a respite. Shovell's ships, uptide of the French, had also anchored, either foreseeing the French manoeuvre, or seeking respite themselves; only Sandwich 90 (Red 24) was unprepared, and was swept by the flood into and through the French line, being severely damaged, and suffering many casualties, including her captain.

7pm

At around 7pm the wind arose again, from the southeast, allowing the English Blue squadron to join the action. Because of Ashby's previous manoeuvres, Rooke's division was now closer to the embattled Red squadron, and joined the fray.

Neptune 96 (Blue 24, Rooke's flagship), Windsor Castle 90 (Blue 25) and Expedition 70 (Blue 26), were able to engage the French ships, particularly Soleil Royal and Ambiteux, increasing the damage they had already sustained. Ashby, in Victory 100 (Blue 14) and the rest of his division joined the fray shortly after, engaging the main body for the next two hours.

8pm

Shovell's ships were still in range of the French, but found themselves sternwards to the French bows, so only a few guns on either side could be engaged. From his position uptide, Shovell attempted to break up the French formation by sending fireships onto them with the tide; his intent was to oblige Tourville to cut his anchor cables to escape them, leaving him to drift with the tide onto Russell's guns. Four fireships were released, but the French were able to fend them off. One fireship became entangled with Perle, but her crew were able to cut it loose; another, released by Cambridge, 70, and aimed at Soleil Royal, came so close as to persuade the French flagship to cut, but she was able to re-anchor before coming within range of Russell's ships.

9pm

At around 9pm Shovell and Rooke decided their position was too exposed to be tenable. As the only ships between the French fleet and the open sea, and being out of contact with the rest of the allied fleet, they decided to use the last of the flood tide to sail through the French fleet and re-join the English line. French contemporary accounts present this as a mistake, as their position placed Tourville in some difficulty, but it is conceivable that if the whole French fleet swept down on them on the ebb, they would be overwhelmed. As it was, the manoeuvre was fraught with difficulty; all their ships were exposed to close raking fire, and were cut up severely.

Aftermath
10pm

By 10pm the battle was almost over. Both sides were exhausted, and the majority of the ships on both sides were damaged, many severely. Amazingly, none of the ships from either line were lost; none were sunk or captured. Shovell had expended four of his fireships without result, and another had burned earlier after being hit by gunfire; these could be seen burning in the night, and were noted by the captain of the Monmouth in his log. Both sides reported a large explosion around this time, but both thought it was a ship from the opposing fleet. Whichever ship it involved, it was not fatal, as all the ships from both lines were accounted for after the action. On the turn of the tide, and in the moonlight, Tourville ordered the French fleet to cut their anchor cables and slip away; the allies followed on as they could.

title: Action at Barfleur