BRITTANY 947 



BRITTANY, or BRETAGNE, bretahn'i, 

 formerly one of the largest provinces in France, 

 now subdivided into five departments, or states, 

 of the republic. It is a peninsula projecting 

 into the Atlantic, between the British Chan- 

 nel on the north and the Bay of Biscay on the 



BROCK 



LOCATION OF BRITTANY 



south, forming the extreme northwestern and 

 most picturesque portion of France. Brittany 

 is supposed to have taken its name from the 

 ancient Britons, who sought refuge there when 

 driven from the island of Britain between the 

 fifth and seventh centuries. Agriculture is 

 backward, but good crops of corn, grapes and 

 other fruits are raised. The inhabitants along 

 the coast engage in the manufacture of salt; 

 coal, lead and iron are found in small quanti- 

 ties in the interior. The fisheries are quite 

 important. Many remains of works of the 

 ancient inhabitants are found throughout the 

 country, and the native peasants retain the 

 ancient language, which closely resembles the 

 Welsh. 



BROAD 'CLOTH, a wide, wool cloth of supe- 

 rior quality, plain or twilled, and dyed. Owing 

 to the introduction of a standard of widths 

 long ago, the distinction arose between broad 

 cloth (cloth of two yards) and straight (cloth 

 of one yard wide or narrower). The name 

 now, however, merely signifies a certain cloth 

 of especial smoothness and excellence. From 

 the sheep to garments of broadcloth is a story 

 of many careful processes shearing of the 

 sheep; selection of best parts; perhaps dyeing; 

 oiling, carding, spinning into yarn; then weav- 

 ing, shrinking, felting, stretching, napping and 

 shearing; and finally hot pressing, to give it 

 an attractive polish. Then at last it is ready 

 for display, sale and use. 



For list of cloths of all kinds see Related 

 Subjects list, In article TEXTILES. 



BROADSWORD, brawd' sohrd, a broad- 

 bladed, single-edged short sword designed for 

 cutting but not for stabbing. The broadsword 

 was formerly used by regiments of cavalry 

 and Highland infantry in the British service, 

 but was not the best weapon for defense. Its 

 use is mentioned in Scott's Marmion: 



O Young Lochinvar is come out of the west, 

 Through all the wide Border his steed was the 



best ; 

 And, save his good broadsword, he weapon had 



none, 

 He rode all unarmed, and he rode all alone. 



Swords used in warfare now are more flex- 

 ible than broadswords and are designed for 

 both cutting and stabbing. The claymore, a 

 type of broadsword, but double-edged and 

 longer, was the national weapon of the High- 

 landers. 



BROCADE, brokade', a cloth of silk, en- 

 riched with raised flowers, foliage or other 

 ornaments, this pattern often being in gold 

 and silver threads. The term is restricted to 

 silks which are figured in the loom, thus dis- 

 tinguished from those which are embroidered 

 after being woven. Brocade was manufac- 

 tured in Oriental countries at an early date 

 and in Europe as early as the thirteenth cen- 

 tury. It is used on furniture, in hangings and 

 in gowns, being a favored fabric for royal gar- 

 ments. The invention of the Jacquard loom 

 attachment by the French weaver, Jacquard, 

 has made possible many beautiful effects in 

 the weaving of brocade and other cloths. 



For list of cloths of all kinds, see Related 

 Subjects, in article TEXTILES. 



BROCK, SIR ISAAC (1769-1812), a British sol- 

 dier whose distinguished service in America 

 won for him the title "Hero of Upper Canada." 

 Early in his career he served in the West In- 

 dies, in Holland and with Nelson at the Battle 

 of Copenhagen, and in 1802 was sent to Can- 

 ada to suppress a rebellion of the troops. In 

 1806, when war between England and the 

 United States was threatening, he was placed 

 in command of the garrison at Quebec, and 

 soon attained the rank of major-general. On 

 the outbreak of the War of 1812 Brock made 

 active preparations for the defense of the Cana- 

 dian frontier; on August 16, 1812, he cap- 

 tur.ed Detroit, where General William Hull was 

 in command, receiving the ignominious sur- 

 render of the entire American force. Brock 

 was mortally wounded on October 13 while 

 leading his men against an American attack 

 on Queenstown (now Queenston), near Niagara 



