BREST

(anciently Brivatu Porius and Oesoa seaport in France, and principal place of a in the department of Finisterre, in the former province of Britt any, 820 miles B. by w. from; Ion. 4" 29' 10" w.; lat 48" 23' K.; pop. 79,847. has one of the best hiu*bours in France, and a safe capable of containing 500 men-of-war in 8 and 15 fathoms at low water, and it is the station of the French marine. The coast on sides is well fortified. The entrance is narrow difficult, with covered rocks, that make it dangerous to those not well acquainted with it. The is an immense and superb building, and the are well constructed. Brest contains two and a marine seminary. It is the seat of a of an admiral^ boaiti, uid a mimicipality. which in the middle ages was of so much importance that it was said, ' He is not Duke of Britt any who is not lord of Brest,' had sunk by the of the reign of Louis XIII. to little more a village. Richelieu resolved to make it the of a vast naval arsenaL An ordinance of 1631 Brest the precedence, as a port, of Havre and but little was done till the beginning of the of Louis XIV., when Duquesne came to superintend the works. He remained there seven years, made it a port. Vauban followed him, and fortified it. The importance of Brest soon attracted to the attention of the English, who frequently attacked it during their wars with France. In 1694 combined fleets of England and Holland disembarked a force which attempted to take Brest, but repulsed with great lo . June 1, 1794, the fleet was beaten off Brest by the British, Howe, who took from them six ships of the and sunk a seventh. The manufacturing industry of Brest is inconsiderable, but its commerce is Its chief exports are cereals; its principal colonial produce and naval stores. The employs 8000 to 9000 men. BRETAGNE. See Brittakt.