﻿ILLK-ETVILAINE. 



ILLE-BT-VILAINE 



J io qtuDtitjr mora Uum enough for the want* of the popuUtion. 

 In the rich aoila, wheat of exoeUeot quality U raiaed ; aomo tobacco ia 

 grown Dear St -Halo ; rye, barley, oata, buckwheat, and mixed grain 

 are produced in the middling and poorer aoila. The cultiTation of 

 Sax and hemp for the uianuiacikurea of the department ia very extern- 

 aire ; the flax and hemp fibtea in the dreaaed atate, aa alio the aeeda, 

 are important objecti of commerce. The apple and the pear are very 

 exteaaiTely cultivated for making cider and perry, the chief drinka of 

 the population ; the cider ia atrong enough to keep for two yeara, and 

 ia oonaidared the beat made in France. The graaa lant along the 

 riTar bottoma ia rich ; and, aa the out-run on the heatha and moors 

 ia hug*) great numbm of cattle are reared, and excellent butter and 

 cbeaaa are made. There is a little meadow land ; of artificial graasea 

 only doTer ia grown. Horaea in general of amall breed, sheep, goata, 

 poiutry, and pigs of the large white breed, are numerous. Game, 

 including wild boars, hares, rabbits, partridges, quails, woodoocka, &c., 

 are abundant. The fiahariea on the coast, which are actively plied, 

 yield excellent oysters, aolea, lobaters, tnrbot, akate, crabs, Ac The 

 foieats of the department contain fine timber : the preTailing kinds 

 are oak and beech; next come cheetnut, poplar, and birch. The 

 oultirated land also presents the appearance of a forest, such is the 

 number of apple-trees planted in the fields, and of timber-trees in the 

 hedges that separate the fields, but, as these latter are regularly 

 ■tripped of their branches to supply fire-wood, they are of little value 

 as tunber. 



Several iron-mines ore worked ; roofing and clay-slate, white quartz 

 for the glass factories, limestone, and granite are quarried ; lead- and 

 copper-ore are found. Mineral springs are numerous. 



The most important manufactiu^s are linen, sailcloth of the beat 

 quality, Russia duck, canvass, and shoe- and morocco-leather ; felt and 

 straw bats, sewing thread, thread stockings, ship-cordage and ropes, 

 fishing nets, hooks anil lines, pottery, cotton- and woollen-yam, are 

 also manufactured. There are, besides, several bleaching establish- 

 ments, brandy distilleries, paper-mills, iron-forges and smelting 

 furnaces, and flour-mills ; in the towns on the coast ship-buildiiig is 

 carried on to some extent. Salt is mode in some of the marshes on 

 the coast. The commerce is composed of the various articles named, 

 and of groats, chestnuta. salt pork, hides, oak-staves, firewood, &c. 

 About 300 fairs are held in the year ; there are 990 wind- and water- 

 mills, 7 iron-works, and C3 factories of different kinds. 



The climate is damp but temperate; much rain falls in winter; the 

 prevailing winds are the west, north-west, and south-west ; hurricanes 

 are less frequent and lees destructive than in the more western depart- 

 ments of the Anuoric peninsula. 



The condition of the peasantry ia similar, but rather superior, to 

 that of the peasantry of Fikist^re. The department contains many 

 Druidical nnd Celtic remains, consisting of monoliths (menhirs), altar 

 tables (dolmen, kistvaen), cromlechs, and cairns. 



The depai-tment is divided into 6 arrondii<semente, which, with their 

 subdivisions and population, are as follows : — 



AneaiHnwamts. 



Osnmiii, 



OonununM. 



Population in 18S1. 



1. Bennes . . . 



3. Fougires 



». Moatfort . . . 



4. 8u-M»lo . 



i. \iui .... 

 6. Bedon . 



10 



a 

 s 



9 

 6 



r 



78 

 57 

 *6 

 60 

 81 

 47 



139,471 

 8S,1SI 

 60,61S 



IIS.SSS 

 88,909 

 82,287 



Total 



ia 



34t 



574,818 



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

 capital is Rehkis. Of the following places the population given in 

 each case ia that of the commune : this remark applies also to the 

 other orrondissements. Iit<U, a small place of about 1000 inhabitants, 

 on the road from Rennes to Oinan, is remarkable for the remains of 

 iti ancient castle, which was taken by Henry II. in 1168. Jani^, 

 S.S.E. of Kennes, has 4304 inhabitants, who manufacture sailcloth, and 

 deal largely in excellent poultry. Ltffri, N.E. of Rennes, has a popu- 

 Ution of 2402. Morddlt; S.W. of Rennes, on the left bank of the 

 Ueu, has mineral springs, and 2613 inhabitants. 



2. In the second arrondiaaement the chief town is Pougira, which 

 ■tanda on a Lill, at the interaection of five high roada, in the northeast of 

 the department. It ia one of the beat built towns in the department, 

 has wide straight streets, a tribunal of firat instance, a college, and 

 8771 mhabitanta, who manufacture sailcloth, canvas, tape, fianuel, 

 Uoa, hata, bricks, leather, paper, and gloss. There is a good commerce 

 in theae articlca, and in com, groaU, butter, honey, cattle, &c. The 

 castle of Fougiree is a picturesque object, but a feeble defence, aa it 

 ia commanded by the higher jwrt of the town. In the forest of 

 Fougires, within half a mile of the town, there are many Dmidical 

 remaina. A nirain, N.W. of Kougirea, on the left bunk of the Coucsnon, 

 which here becomes navigable, uas a population of 1S67 in the com- 

 mnoa, and some manufactures of linen, coarse woollens, serge, and 

 leather. St.-AtJrin-dwConiutr*imdM on a steep hill, S.W. of Foug^res, 

 and has 1896 inhabitants. It owes its origin to a strong castle built 

 bj Piem de Drcux, duke of Bretogne, in 1223, and is famous for the 



victory gained here by the Count de la Tremouille, the commander- 

 in-chief for Charles VXII., over Franooia II., duke of Bretagne, the 

 Prince of Orange, and the Dukb of Orl^ana (afterwards Louis XII). 

 liOwei^-d*-J)iiart, 9 miles N. from Fougirea, had formerly a Urge 

 estabhahment belonging to the Templars, whose church is now become 

 the pariah church. It has a popuUtion of 3524, and aeveral tan-yards. 



3. In the third arrondiaaement the chief town, Montfort-tur-Meu, 

 situated 10 miles W. from Rennes, on a hill above the oonfluenoe of 

 the Meu and the Chailloux, has a tribunal of first iuatance, a college, 

 and 1930 inhabitanta. It u closed in by ramparts, flanked with 

 towers, and encircled by a wide ditch. The town was formerly of 

 much larger size. In the environs, which are very pretty, are the oak 

 forests of Bresoilien and Montfort, in the former of which are several 

 Druidical remaina ; among others the reputed tomb of the enchanter 

 Merlin, so celebrated in Breton fables. St.-Mien, 10 miles W. from 

 Montfort, has an ecclesiastical school, and 2319 inhabitanta. MotUaubam, 

 formerly the chief town of a county belonging to the dukes of Rohan, 

 is 7 miles N.N.W. from Montfort, and has a population of 2764. 

 PUlanrle-Urand, 12 miles S. by W. from Montfort, has 3283 inha- 

 bitants, who manufacture great quantities of sewing-thread. 



4. In the fourth arrondissement the chief town, St.-McUo, is built 

 on the rocky isle of Aron, which communicates with the mainland 

 by a causeway named Le Sillon, and defended from the violence of the 

 waves by strong outworks. The town covers the whole island ; it is 

 surrounded by strong ramparts, which are flanked with towers and 

 bastions, and form a tine promenade. The streets are narrow, but 

 formed by high and in general well-built houses. There are four gate 

 entrances, near one of which, called La Cirande Porte, is a large 

 reservoir, whence water is supplied to the fountains in the streets. 

 The most remarkable building is the strong castle built by Anne, 

 duchess of Bretagne, which forms part of the fortifications. The 

 former cathedral is a very spacious church, built in the gothic style, 

 and ornamented with several good marble statues. St.-Malo has 

 tribunals of first instance and of commerce, a chamber of commerce 

 and manufactures, a naval school of the first class, and 9383 inha- 

 bitants in the commune ; but including the hoi-bour and the auburb 

 of St-Servan, the population probably exceeds 21,000. The harbour 

 lies south of the town ; it is capacious and safe, but the entrance to 

 it is rendered intricate by a great number of islets and rocks which 

 stud this part of the coast, and many of which are fortified. It ia a 

 tide harbour, protected by a strong pier, and lined with a broad quay, 

 which runs just under the walls of the town ; it is dry at low water, 

 but laige ships can enter, as the tide rises very high here, 49 feet at 

 spring. A wet-dock has been Utely formed by throwing a strong 

 granite wall across the head of the bay between the town and the 

 suburb of St-Servan ; it contains an area of above 270 acres, and is 

 entered by wide flood-gates, through which steamers and war frigates 

 can pass. The roadstead of St-Molo lies west of the town at the 

 embouchure of the Ranee; it is protected by seven forts, one of 

 which, called Concbde, was constructed by Vauban. The manufac- 

 tures of SL-Malo are hosiery, fishing-nets, ship-pulleys and cordage, 

 soap, fishing-books, &c Ship-building is carried on, and there is a 

 Urge tobacco factory. The imports consist of colonial produce, spices, 

 flax, hemp, &c. ; there is also a considerable trade in corn, fruit, wine, 

 brandy, salt, linen, cider, butter, honey, fish, salt provisions, &c 

 Vessels are fitted out for the foreign and coasting trade, and for the 

 whale, cod, and mackerel fisheries. St.-Malo is much frequented for its 

 excellent sea-bathing. CaacoUt, a small sea-port on the western side of 

 the Bay of Cancale, with 5630 inhabitants, is 8 miles E. from St-Malo. 

 The principal pai-t of the town stands on a height above the bay, of 

 which it commands a fine view, and is well built. The other part, 

 called La-Uoule, is built on the shore, and is inhabited chiefly by 

 fishermen, who take voit quantities of oysters and other fish in tho 

 bay for the supply of Paris and the towns in the interior. Conibourg, 

 the birth-place of Chateaubriand, 20 miles S.S.K from St-Malo, is 

 situated on a small lake, and has 4847 inhabitants. There is an old 

 cbftteau, flanked with towers, in good preservation in the town. Dol, 

 remarkable for its ancient cathedral, which is one of the handsomest 

 churches in Bretagne, is 15 miles S.£. from 8t-Malo, and has 4018 

 inhabitants. It is surrounded by old walls and wide ditches, the 

 remains of its ancient furtitications. The interior is irregularly 

 built; the houses ore constructed of dark granite with projecting 

 gables ; arcades, 7 or 8 feet wide, supported on granite pillars, run 

 along the streets. The town has a good com-market, which is held 

 in a desecrated church ; there u also some trade in cider, hemp, flax, 

 tobacco, cattle, &c. The neighbourhood of Uol is fertile ; all the laud 

 between it and the sea northward u drained marsh, protected from 

 the sea by dykes. Pltine-Fougim, 2S milet from St,-Malo, has a 

 population of 3107. Sl.-Servan, a well-built town, and much frequented 

 watering-place, aituated on the south aide of the harbour of St.-Malo, 

 of which town it may be considered a suburb, hss 10,257 inhabitants. 

 The most remarkable structure is tho isolated tower called Solidor, 

 which is 60 feet high, and approached by a drawbridge. This tower 

 is now used as a prison. Beer, ahip-cordage and biscuits, wine, 

 brandy, &c., are the chief articles of trade ; ship-building is carried 

 on. TinUniac, on the lUe-et-Rance Canal, has 2050 inhabitanta, who 

 trade in com, butter, poultry, &o. 



6, in the fifth arrondissement the chief town, Vitr4, situated on the 



