Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume III.djvu/260

254 BREST already smarting under humiliation, led him to commit suicide. BKKST, a fortified town of France, in Brittany, department of Finistere, on a bay of the Atlantic, 310 m. W. of Paris; pop. in 1866, 79,847. It is the chief station of the French marine, and one of the first military and naval ports in Eu- rope. It stands on the N. side of a landlocked .haven, accessible only by the Goulet, a narrow fortified entrance about a mile wide, divided in .the middle by a rocky island. The town is built on the summit and sides of a projecting ridge, some of the streets being so steep that they can be traversed only on foot. A deep ^narrow creek runs up from the harbor behind this ridge, separating the town on its left bank from the suburb of Recouvrance on its right, communication being kept up by an iron bridge 65 ft. above high-water mark, with a swing .opening to allow ships of war to pass. Just above the mouth of the creek, which is defend- ed by several tiers of batteries, is an old castle. This creek, which forms the inner port, is so narrow that there is barely space for the mer- chant vessels, and for 30 or 40 ships of war moored side by side. Above the castle the shores on both sides are enclosed by a high wall, separating the dockyard from the town. Around the harbor run long quays at which the largest vessels can lie, and five artificial basins are excavated out of the rook. There is also a commercial harbor, with a breakwater, extend- ing far into the roadstead. The dockyard is situated on both sides of a narrow creek wind- ing between steep rocks, which have been pared down so as to afford space for the buildings, quays, and yards. Three large dry docks have been cut out of the solid rock. On one side of the creek are the magazine, sail loft, rope yard, and hospital ; on the other the foundery and Brest Swing Bridge. sailors' barracks. Slips for building vessels oc- cupy the level space at the water's edge ; and above these are the steam-engine factory, from which machinery is lowered into the vessels. On the Recouvrance side of the harbor are the forges, furnaces, and workshops necessary for the construction and repair of steam engines. The galleys or hulks for convicts no longer ex- ist, the prisoners confined in them having been removed in 1 860 to the penal colony of Cay- enne. Outside the dockyard is the marine hos- pital, admirably arranged, containing 26 wards, each having 53 beds, attended by a large body of religiemes called stenrs fideles de la sagetme, who are lodged within the building. The road- stead of Brest lies between the promontory of Finistere on the N. and the peninsula of Quelern on the S., which have a space of only 1,749 yards between them, and this is still further contract- ed by a rock in the centre, which compels ves- sels to pass directly under the batteries on each side. The roads, consisting of several bays, are about 15m. long, and in some places 3 m. broad ; and although there are many shoals and sand banks, several hundred vessels can anchor there. The harbor is so fortified as to be apparently impregnable against any naval attack. Fully 400 heavy guns can be brought to bear from the batteries outside the Goulet, while 60 more sweep the anchorage within. Besides these the fortifications of the town itself mount more than 400 cannon, and behind is an intrenched camp defended by heavy guns. Brest has a considerable trade in wheat, oats, wine, brandy, beer, sardines, mackerel, and water-proof goods. It is connected with America by a submarine cable, terminating near Duxbury, Mass. It has a city hall, chamber of commerce, observatory,