﻿MAKAAR PASSAGE. 



MANCHE. 



<S8 



of from 15 to 30 tons burden, are engaged in the herring fishery. The 

 number of vessels re!;i3terecl as belonging to the island at the close of 

 1853 included 318 sailing vessels under 50 tons, with a total tonnage 

 of 7422 ; 39 above 50 tons, with a tonnage of 2947 ; and 5 steamers 

 above 50 tons, with a total tonnage of 1197. Dui-ing 1853 the entries 

 inwards included 1532 sailing-vessels (70,298 tons), and 219 steamers 

 (25,360 tons) ; outwards, 731 sailing-vessels (28,014 tons), and 130 

 steamers (30,067 tons). Duties levied on imported goods, charges on 

 vessels and boats trading to the island, the harbour dues, taxes on 

 dogs, carriages, and public-houses, are the taxes of the island. The 

 two last are expended in repairing harbours, roads, and bridges. 

 Steam-vessels ply between the island and Liverpool, Dublin, White- 

 haven, and Scotland. 



The early history of the Isle of Man is obscure. It was governed 

 by a succession of Norwegian kings until 1264, when Magnus, finding 

 himself unable to preserve the Western Isles, sold them to Alex- 

 ander III., king of Scotland. Soon after this Alexander reduced the 

 Isle of Man, and appointed Uegulus king. William de Moutacute, 

 with an English force, afterwards drove out the Scots, and it became 

 the property of the kings of England. In 1307 Edwud II. bestowed 

 this island first upon the Earl of Cornwall, and then on Henry Beau- 

 mont. The Scots, under Robert Bruce, recovered and possessed it 

 until 1340, when the Esrl of Shaftesbury wrested it from Scotland in 

 the reign of Edward III., and sold it to the Earl of Wiltshire, who 

 was afterwards executed for high treason, and his estates confiscated. 

 Henry IV. granted the island to Henry Percy, earl of Northumberland, 

 after whose attainder in 1403 it was granted, with the patronage of 

 the bishopric and other ecclesiastical benefices, to William Stanley 

 and his heirs, afterwards earls of Derby. Thomas, earl of Derby, relin- 

 quished the title of King of Man, and took that of Lord. James I. 

 made a new grant of the island to William, sixth earl of Derby, 

 which the Parliament confirmed. James, earl of Derby, in conse- 

 quence of his adherence to Charles I., was taken prisoner and executed 

 at Bolton in 1651. The Parliament granted the island to Lord Fairfax. 

 Charles IL, on his accession to the throne, gave it to the Earl of Derby, 

 the sou of the earl who had been heheaaed, from whom it passed to 

 James, second duke of Athol, who was descended from the youngest 

 daughter of the seventh carl of Derby. In 1764 the Duke of Athol 

 sold his sovereign rights to the British government for 70,000^, with 

 his civil patronage, and the castles of Peel and Rushen. By a subse- 

 quent arrangement with the duke on the part of the English govern- 

 ment (6 Geo. IV. c. 34), Great Britain now enjoys all me sovereign 

 rights and privileges of the island. 



No part of the kingdom abound* so much in Danish and other 

 ancient remains. The various tumuli, barrows, weapons, coins, and 

 Runic inscriptions afford clear evidence of the connection which the 

 Northmen had with this island. Some stone circles have been dis- 

 covered. The venerable remains of Rushen Abbey, which belonged 

 to the Cistercian or<ler, and of a nunnery near Douglas, show the 

 influence of the Church during the middle ages. The tumulus at 

 Tinwald, which is approached by turf steps on the east, presents the 

 appearance of a truncated cone divided into three stages, which are 

 raised about three feet above each other, and proportionally diminished 

 both in circuit and width until they approach the summit, where the 

 king of Man formerly sat on solemn occasions. The local laws of the 

 island still continue to be read and promulgated here annually before 

 the governor, two deemsters, keys, councU, and various officers of 

 state, and divine service concludes the solemnities of the day. The 

 Tinwald Mount (which means either ' a fence for an assembly,' or ' a 

 juridical hill ') is situated near the intersection of the high road from 

 Castletown to Ramsey with that from Douglas to FeeL 

 MANAAR PAS8AGK [Ceylon.] 

 MANACOR. [Mallokca.] 

 MANAMA. [Babrei>- Islands.] 

 MANCHA, LA. [Cabtilla la Nceva,] 



MANCHE, a department of France, deriving its name from La- 

 Manche, the French name for the English Channel, on the coast of 

 which it lies, is bounded W., N., and N.K by the Channel, E. by the 

 departments of Calvados and Ome, and S. by those of Mayenue and 

 Ille-et-Vilaine. Its form is that of an irregular rectangle, having its 

 greatest length from north to south about 90 miles : its greatest 

 breadth is about 89 miles, but the average width does not exceed 

 27 miles. Its area is 2291 square miles. The population of the 

 department in 1841 was 597,334; in 1851 it was 600,882, giving 

 262-279 inhabitants to a square mile, being 87'696 above the average 

 population to the square mile for the whole of France, The depart- 

 ment comprises the peninsula of Cotentin and the district of Avranchin, 

 parts of the old province and duchy of Normandie. 



The department is traversed from south to north by hills of no 

 great elevation, which branch ofi' from the Annoric chain, and termi- 

 nate northward in Cape La-Hague. These hills slope down gradually 

 towards the coast on the eastern and western aides of Cotentin, in 

 ■ome places presenting bold clifis towards the sea, in others subsiding 

 into sands and beaches of vast extent, which are always covered at 

 foU tide. Along the coast there are several harbours and roadsteads, 

 the most important of which are — Cherbourg, La-Hougue, Granville, 

 Bcgneville, Carteret, &c. Among the numerous islands that stand in 

 ' the eoMt, besides the Choimel Islands, are— Kont-St.-Michel, the 



Chaussey group, PeWe, northeast of Cherbourg ; and Tatihou and 

 St-Mareouf, on the east coast of Cotentin. Most of these islands are 

 fortified and garrisoned; many of them, traditions say, were once 

 joined to the mainland. 



The Chaussey group consists of one island about a mile long and 

 half a mile wide, surrounded by several much smaller islets. The 

 principal island stands in 48° 51' N. lat., 1° 47' W. long. It is unin- 

 habited, except by persons who work in its granite quarries, which 

 have supplied materials for constructing the harbours of Granville 

 and St-Malo. The granite is also sent to Paris. There is a grazing 

 farm on the island. Rabbits are numerous. 



From the nature of the surface the rivers must be all of short 

 course. The largest is the Vire [Calvados], which rises in the 

 department of Orne, and enters this department on the east side, 

 whence it flows northward, just within and in one part on the 

 boundary of the department, past St.-L6 into the English ChanneL 

 The whole length of the Vire is about 50 miles, for about 8 miles of 

 which it is navigable. The Taute and the Douve, empty their tmited 

 waters into the great sandy bay between Isigny and Careutan. The 

 Ay, the Tienne, the Cdlune, and the See terminate on the western 

 coast. The Couesnon [Ille-et-Vilaine] in the lower part of its 

 course separates La-Manche from Ille-et-Vilaine, and falls into the 

 bay of St.-Michel. The department is crossed by 9 state, 25 depart- 

 mental, and a great number of parish roads. The railway connecting 

 Paris with Cherbourg, now in course of construction, crosses the 

 department, but as yet (December 1854) no railroad is open In the 

 department. The climate is mild but moist 



The department yields more of bread-stufls than suffices for tha 

 consumption. Wheat, barley, rye, buck-wheat, black oats (cakes made 

 of which form the chief food of the labouring class), and potatoes 

 are the chief crops. Apple- and pear-trees are extensively cultivated 

 for making cider and perry, the favourite beverages of the country. 

 Of cider above 22,000,000 gallons are made annually; some of it, 

 especially that made near Avranches, is of excellent quality. Hemp 

 and flax are grown in considerable quantity on the eastern slopes of 

 Cotentin. Fruits of various kinds are sedulously cultivated iu the 

 arrondiasement of Avranches. Horses of the true Norman breed are 

 numerous, and fetch the breeder good prices ; they are much sought 

 after as cavalry horses. The pastures are good and extensive, affording 

 food for a great number of nomed-cattle of large size and excellent 

 fatting qualities. Excellent butter is made, and large quantities of it 

 are exported from Isigny. A considerable number of sheep are fed 

 on the sandy plains (locally called ' mielles ') which extend between 

 the sea and the cultivated land ; they are small, and have sweet flesh. 

 Game, water-fowl, and fish of all kinds are abundant. 



Primitive rocks overspread the greater portion of the department, 

 but a part of the eastern coast and of the country about Valognes, 

 Carentan, and 8t.-Ld is occupied by later formations. Between 

 Carenton and Valognes the elevated tract behind the low marshes 

 that skirt the shore is composed of blue lias, which extends to a. 

 considerable distance inland. The new red-sandstone is abundant 

 between Carentan and St.-Ld; between Carentan and Isigny it is 

 yellowish mixed with red and gray, and is tolerably compact. Red- 

 marl and red-sandstone belonging to this formation are found near 

 Valognes and along the coast intermingled with gravel beds composed 

 of the rocks of this formation, intermixed with quartz rock, on which 

 in several places the new red-sandstone is fdund to rest. Nude quartz 

 rock is found between Valognes and Cherbourg alternating with 

 argillaceous slate. Argillaceous elate and grauwacke occupy the east 

 of the department about St.-L6. Granite, resembling that of Dart- 

 moor, is found at St.-Vaast near Pointe-Barfleur. A bed of limestonei 

 probably belonging to the supracretaceous rocks, is quarried between 

 Carentan and Valognes, and another limestone of uncertain date is 

 found in the immediate vicinity of the latter place. The department 

 is rich in minerals. Iron, lead, and coal-mines are worked ; granite 

 and building stone are quarried ; marble, slate, pottera'-clay, and 

 limestone are found. Mineral springs are numerous ; there are a few 

 salt-marshes along the coast. 



Manufacturing industry is actively exerted in the making of iron, 

 the working of zinc and copper, the fabrication of plate-glass, ser^e, 

 calico, drugget, cutlery, woollen-stuffs, lace, tape, haircloth, porcelain, 

 oil, hardware, cotton-yam, paper, leather, soda made from kelp, 

 basket-work, &c. Ship-building is actively carried on at Cherbourg 

 and other towns on the coast. Cherbourg is the chitf naval arsenal 

 and naval station of France in the north ; vessels of war and steamers 

 of all sizes are turned out of its yards. The articles enumerated 

 and the products of the soil support an active commerce and coasting- 

 trade. The chief exports are &esh and salt fish, corn, cattle, horses, 

 poultry, wax, honey, salt butter, feathers, salt, salt provisions, soda, 

 &c. About 380 fairs and markets are held in the yeai-. 



The department contains 1,466,275 acres. Of the whole area 

 949,290 acres are under tillai^e; 227,483 acres are meadow and 

 pasture land ; 69,201 acres are covered with woods and forests chiefly 

 of oak, beech, and birch ; 50,068 acres are laid out in gardens, 

 orchards, and plantations; 114,394 acres consist of heaths and moors; 

 46,299 acres are occupied aa roads, streets, squares, &c. ; 6657 acres 

 are covered with waters; and 18,663 acres with houses and 

 buildings, 



