93 



PAS-DE-CALAIS. 



PAS-DE-CALAIS. 



9! 



The department takes its name from Pottage, or Pat-de-Calait, by 

 which the French sometimes designate the Strait of Dover. The 

 surface consists of two inclined plains, which slope respectively 

 towards the east and west, and lie on either side of a ridge of hills 

 that crosses the department from south-east to north-west, terminating 

 in the latter direction in the high cliffs of Cape Grinez, between Calais 

 and Boulogne. These cliffs, which extend for some miles on each side 

 of the cape, are composed of chalk, and bear a close resemblance 

 to those of Dover. Farther west the cliffs are composed of masses of 

 slaty clay. In Bomc parts the coast is low, and defended from the sea 

 by a natural barrier of sandy downs. The coast-line, reckoning all its 

 indentations, has a length of about 80 miles, but it presents no good 

 natural harbours, the inlets being iucumbered with sand or the debris 

 of the cliffs. Calais and Boulogne are good artificial high-water- 

 harbours formed by piers. Besides the ridge of hills above mentioned, 

 which sends out spurs that form the watersheds between rivers flowing 

 through the valleys on either slope, there are some isolated high lands 

 south of Boulogne, and also between the Authie on the southern 

 boundary and the Canche. The principal rivers on the eastern slope 

 are the Scarpe, the Sensce, and the Lys, feeders of the Escaut; and 

 the Aa, which forms the north-eastern boundary, and falls into the 

 tea at Gravelinee; most of these riven are navigable, or are made so 

 by canalisation. From the western slope flow the Lianne and the 

 Canche into the Channel at Boulogne and Etaples respectively, and the 

 Authie, which flows for some way in the department of Somme, and 

 then north-west into the Channel, forming the boundary between 

 Pas-de-Colais and Somme. By means of its rivers and several canals 

 that connect the principal towns on the eastern slope with those of 

 the department of NorJ, Pas-de-Calais has an inland navigation of 

 124 miles. It is traversed by the Great Northern of France railway 

 which psBBB* through Arras, and from which branches run to 

 Boulogne from Amiens, and to St-Omer and Calais from Lille. 

 Along all these lines electro-telegraphic wires are laid down, and from 

 Calais submarine electro-telegraphic cables cross the strait to Dover. 

 Common highway accommodation is afforded by 18 imperial and 

 15 departmental roads. 



The soil is in general fertile ; farms are large ; a very great breadth 

 of land is occupied with the growth of wheat, but other cereal grains, 

 pulse, oleaginous seeds, and cider fruits are also grown. The low 

 valley*, though generally very fertile and abounding with excellent 

 pasture*, an in many places marshy, and in a few places covered with 

 peat bogs. Except in the arrondiawment of Betbune, and in the flat 

 dktricta contiguous to the department of Nord, the fields are mostly 

 noincloaed, and the country, save near hsmlrrts or farmhouse*, is bare 

 of trees. A great deal of land is laid out in meadows and orchards. 

 Other crops besides those already named are barley, beet-root for 

 mH"g sugar, hemp, flax, and bops. The number of hones chiefly 

 for draught, of horned-cattle, aheap, and swine is very gnat ; poultry 

 is very abundant, good, and cheap ; and fish is very plentiful, great 

 number* of boat* being actively engaged in herring, cod, mackerel, 

 and oyster fishing. The climate resembles that of the south-east of 

 England, bat fa if possible more inconstant, the changes from heat to 

 cold being somttimts marked by great rapidity ; the west and north 

 west wind*, charged with aea spray, are sometimes very annoying 01 

 the coast 



Iron- and coal-mine* are worked, but not to any very great extent 

 The ore and coal used in the iron-work* are mined on the spot Other 

 mineral productions are marble, quartz, rock-crystal, limestone, and 

 pipe- and [.otters' -clay. 



The industrial products of the department are common woollen 

 doth, linen, hosiery of all kind., velveteen, lace, soap, fishing-nets 

 beet-root sugar, cotton and flaxen yarn, oil, salt, gin, grain and potato 

 spirits, fumitore and cabinet work, glass, earthenware, Ac. Besides 

 the numerous establishments for the manufacture of these articles 

 there are also 1678 wind- and water-mills, several bleach-works, 7( 

 beetroot sngnr (actorim,. pa|>*r-tnill*, innrl.lc-eawing works, tail- am 

 fulling milli, and tan-yards. The coasting trade in com, eggs, Imttcr 

 ami*, oil, flax, hides, Ac. is active. Steam-boats ply regularly from 

 London, Dover, and Folkstone, to Calais and Boulogne. 



The forests of this department are small, and chiefly confined to 

 the siiiiiliss*iliils of SL-Omcr and sfontrcuil. Consequently cos 

 is generally used for fuel, and ha* to be imported from Belgium am 

 the department of Nord ; for the quantity of coal raised doe* little 

 more than suffice for the iron-works. 



The department is divided into 6 arrondisstments, which with their 

 sn' division* and population, are a* follow* : 



1. Of the first arrondisaemont and of the whole department, the 

 hief town is ARRAS. Sapawne, situated near the source of the 

 >ensee, 15 miles S. by E. from Arras, is a well-built fortified town, 



with 3210 inhabitants, who manufacture lawn, muslin, calico, thread, 

 oap, and leather. The town has salt-refineries, and is supplied with 

 xcelleat water from a fountain, which is fed by an artesian well. 

 T ttry, on the Paris-Brussels railroad, 10 miles E. from Arras, on the 

 carpe, ia a village with 2308 inhabitants. 



2. The second arrondissemeut takes its name from BUtJmne, a 

 ortified town with a tribunal of first instance, a college, and 7158 

 inhabitants in the commune. The town, situated 011 a rock above the 

 Srette, 18 miles N. by W. from Arras, is pretty well built, and pos- 

 icsses a large square, the centre of which is occupied by an old tower 

 if odd construction. The town-hall, which stands on one side of this 

 iquare, and the principal church, remarkable for the light elegance of 

 ts nave, are the only remarkable buildings. Bdthune has a public 

 ibrary ; manufactures of soap, oil, lawn, and woollen cloth ; salt- 

 refineries, beetroot-sugar factories, tan-yards, and a gin distillery. 



The trade of the town in its industrial products and in com, wine, 

 >randy, oleaginous seeds, cheese, pottery, Ac., is much facilitated by 

 he Lawe and Bassc'e canals, which here meet in a common basin. 

 The first artesian wells were bored in Bcihune and its neighbourhood. 



3. The third arrondissement takes its name from its chief town 

 >t-0mer. [OMEB, ST.] Aire, a tolerably well-built town with a college, 

 and 9591 inhabitants, is situated 9 miles S. by E. from St.-Omer, at 

 ,\\o confluence of the Laquctte with the Lys, and at the junction of 

 the St-Omcr and Bassde canals, by means of which it communicates 

 with the Aa and the Deule. The town is surrounded with ramparts 

 and deep ditches ; it has barracks large enough to accommodate 6000 



ncii ; a town-house ; several handsome fountains ; and two fine 

 churches. Hats, soap, oil, basket-work, grain spirits, glazed paving 

 tiles, Ac. are manufactured. Ardrtt, is a small fortified town with 

 2193 inhabitants, 17 miles by railway N.W. from St-Omer, and 7 A miles 

 3. by E. from Calais. A regiment of cavalry lies in the town ; the 

 barracks, stables, and riding-house are the most noteworthy objects. 

 Le-Champ-du-Drap d'Or, or the Field of the Cloth of Gold, the scene 

 of the famous interviews between Henry VIII. and Francois I., lies 

 between this town and Gnines. 



4. In the fourth arrondissement the chief town, Ft.-Pol, is situated 

 20 miles N.W. from Arras, at the intersection of seven high roads, and 

 at the head of a vale watered by the Tornoise, a feeder of the Canche. 

 This town was formerly the capital of the county of St.-Pol, and was 

 fortified : of its defences, and of the castle of the counts of St.-Pol, 

 there an still some remains. It ia an irregularly-built place, and has 

 a college and 3246 inhabitants in the commune. 



5. Of the fifth arrondissement the chief town is BOULOGNE. The 

 district which now forms the arrondissement of Boulogne comprises 

 the former county of SmUonnait. The Boulonnais was governed from 

 the 10th century by counts who were great vassals of the crown. The 

 last count, Bcrtrand de la Tour d'Auvergne, was dispossessed by 

 Philippe, duke of Boiirgognc, to whom the county was ceded by 

 Charles VIII. Louis XI. took possession of it in 1477. The English 

 held the northern part of it a long time ; when the French regained 

 this portion they called it Pays Reconquis. The other towns are : 

 CALAIS : (fuina, which stands in a marshy country, 5 miles S. from 

 Calais, and on the canal from St.-Omcr to Calais, has 4097 inhabitants, 

 who trade in corn, linen, cattle, poultry, fire-wood, turf, and charcoal, 

 and who manufacture tulle, pottery, leather, salt, Ac, : Marquitt, 

 which is situated 8 miles N.E. from Boulogne, on the road to Calais, 

 on the Slack, and has 2108 inhabitants : St.-Pum-Iit-Calau, a large 

 suburb of Calais, which is traversed by the railway to Lille, has 9000 

 inhabitants, engaged chiefly in the cotton manufactures, and in the 

 manufacture of buttons, hats, beetroot-sugar, salt, and leather : and 

 Earner, which is built on a hill 4 miles S.E. from Boulogne, on the high 

 road to Moutreuil, and has a population of 2195. Snmer is famous 

 for the remains of an abbey founded about the middle of the 7th 

 century. 



6. The sixth arrondisf cment is named from its chief town, Monlrcuil- 

 tur-Mcr, which is situated 25 miles by railway S. from Boulogne, on 

 a high hill near the right bank, and about 4 miles from the mouth, of 

 the Canche. It is tolerably well built with bricks, and strongly for- 

 tified. The town has a tribunal of first instance, a college, and 3720 

 inhabitants in the commune, who manufacture soap, salt, paper, beer,' 

 and leather. The tower of the citadel was the prison residence of 

 Queen Bertha, the repudiated wife of Philippe I. Moutreuil was ceded 

 to the English by the treaty of Brdtigny, but it soon shook off their 

 yoke; in 1587 it was taken by Charles V. ; the Spaniards took it a 

 second time hi 1544. The charter of the town dates from the year 

 1189. f.tapla, a small sea-port town, is situated on the northern 

 shore of the mouth of the Canche, which hero forms a small bay, 18 

 miles by railway 8. from Boulogne. Here a treaty of peace between 

 Henry VII. and Charles VIII. was concluded in 1492. Staples was 

 formerly a place of much greater importance than now, when it 

 numbers *caroely 2000 inhabitant*, chiefly fishermen. Fruget, situated 

 on a steep hill 18 miles E. from Montreuil, consints of several streets, 

 which abut on a large square. It has 2962 inhabitants, who manufac- 

 ture woollen cloth, hosiery, tobacco pipes, salt, and leather. Jfestlin, 

 one of the prettiest towns in the department, is beautifully situated in 



