B R E 



454 



B R E 



Brenner, 

 Brciitlord 



only to within a league and a half ; and that thus all 

 the merchandise, whether export or import, must be 

 loaded and unloaded a second time at Vegesack, which 

 may be regarded as the port of Bremen. It is inferior 

 to Hamburgh in population, wealth, and commerce ; 

 but it occupies nearly as much ground, and the 

 streets are cleaner and wider, the houses better built, 

 and the whole better planned as a city. Bremen is 

 ten German miles distant from Munden, twelve from 

 Zell, and an equal distance from Hamburgh. East 

 Long. 9, North Lat.53 30'. See Holcroft's Tra- 

 vels; and Knigge's Journey to Lower Saxony, (q) 



BRENNER MOUNTAINS, formerly denominated, 

 the Rhatian Alps, are a chain of mountains in the 

 Tyrol, running in a north easterly direction from 

 Sterzing to Inspruck. The mountain Brenner, 

 from which the chain derives its name, is so called 

 from the frequent thunder storms which rage on its 

 summit ; and, according to Beaumont, is only 5109 

 feet above the level of the sea. The other moun- 

 tains are Gefrorn, which rises from the midst of a 

 long course of glaciers, running north-east and 

 south-west, and is one of the highest peaks of the 

 chain, and continually covered with snow ; Ha- 

 bichspiz, Tributaan, and Bock-kogo. There are 

 also, on the north- west, mounts Lorenzen, Fartschel, 

 and Tschafatfeh ; and, on the south-east, Glander, 

 Schloss, Pragls, and Pallanser. The Brenner moun- 

 tains rival the Alps in numerous glaciers, and are in- 

 ferior neither in height nor ruggedness to those of 

 Appenzel. Their summits are entirely bare, and 

 appear to be granitic ; while the inferior mountains 

 are calcareoasor argillaceous. In the glacier of Stu- 

 ben, which is 4692 feet above the sea, the granite 

 and porphyry are often covered with calcareous stones, 

 and " it presents," says Pinkerton, " the. usual phe- 

 nomena of such scenes, with beautiful pyramids of 

 azure, which in sun-shine reflect a blaze of light." 

 The town of Steiiiach stands nearly in the centre of 

 the chain ; and when approaching these mountains 

 from Italy, the ascent is almost gradual from Trent 

 to their highest peak. The high road leading to 

 Inspruck passes over them, extending along their 

 summits nearly 12 miles. It is very secure and 

 agreeable during the months of July and August, 

 tut very dangerous in winter, on account of the ava- 

 lanches. The mountains towards the south are rich 

 in wood and pasturage, but those on the north are 

 bleak and barren. Near the glaciers are found rock 

 crystals of various colours ; and the inferior ranges 

 contain mines of silver, copper, lead, mercury, iron, 

 alum, and sulphur. In the valley of Zi\\, is a mine 

 of gold, but scarcely worth the expense and labour 

 of working it. SeePinkerton's Geography, vol i. p. 

 387, and Beaumont's Rhcetian Alps. (JL) 



BRENTFORD, a market town of England, in 

 the county of Middlesex, is situated on the north 

 bank of the Thames, about seven miles from Lon- 

 don. The river Brent, from which it derives its name, 

 passes through it, and divides it into the old and 

 new town ; the former of which belongs to the pa- 

 rish of Great Eahng, and the other to the parish of 

 Hanwell. It is a long, straggling, ill-paved town, 

 interspersed with a few good modern built houses ; 

 and is inhabited chiefly by shop-keepers and trades- 

 men. The church is a modern structure, built in the 



reign of Edward f ., but rebuilt in 1 764, and serves as 

 a chapel-of-ease to Great Ealing. Brentford is a l 

 place of considerable traffic. Its communication with 

 the capital is greatly facilitated by the Thames, and 

 market boats go every tide to London. The great 

 western road also passes through the middle of the 

 town. Its principal trade consists in making malt ; 

 in an extensive distillery, and in the manufacture of 

 bricks, tiles, and earthen ware. It has also a flour 

 mill, on the same construction as the late Albion 

 mills, which, with its other manufactures, affords em- 

 ployment for its numerous poor. About a mile west 

 of Brentford is Sion-house, formerly a celebrated 

 nunnery, now a seat of the Duke of Northumber- 

 land ; and, at the east extremity of the village, on the 

 opposite side of the Thames, are the beautiful gar- 

 dens of Kew. Brentford is chiefly noted for being 

 the seat of election for the members of the county, 

 when it is the resort of all the rabble of the metropo- 

 lis. It has two annual fairs for horses, cattle, hogs, 

 goods, &c. ; one on the 18th of May, and the other 

 on the 13th of September. It contains 277 houses, 

 and 1443 inhabitants, of whom 334 are returned as 

 employed in various trades, (p) 



BRESCIA, anciently named BRIXIA, a city of 

 Italy, is the capital of the department of Mella, and 

 chief place of the district of Brescia. It was found- 

 ed by the Gauls, under the command of Belove- 

 sus ; or, as others suppose, of Brennus ; but af- 

 terwards became a colony of the Romans. In 119 

 it is said to have received the Christain faith, by the 

 preaching of Apollinaris bishop of Ravenna. In 412, 

 it was burnt by Radagassus, king of the Goths; but was 

 rebuilt by Attila in 452. It was afterwards possessed 

 by the Lombards ; but was taken by Charlemagne in 

 771, who founded its church of St Denis. It suf- 

 fered severely during the various revolutions in Italy, 

 especially in the disputes between the Guelphs and 

 Gibelines; and, during a space of 28 years, is said to 

 have changed its masters seven times. It was long 

 under the dominion of the dukes of Milan, before it 

 surrendered itself, in 1426, to the republic of Ve- 

 nice. It was taken and pillaged in 1512, by Gas- 

 ton de Foix, gener.al of Louis XLI. ; but was again 

 restored to the Venetians by Francis I. in 1517. In 

 1478, and in 1524, it was visited by a dreadful pesti- 

 lence, which, at the first of these dates, swept away 

 25,000 persons. It was taken by the French, under 

 Bonaparte, in 1796 ; and in 1799 by the Austrians 

 and Russians, to whom the French garrison surren- 

 dered as prisoners of war. By the treaty of Lune- 

 ville, in 1801, it became a constitutional part of the 

 Cisalpine republic, and now belongs to the kingdom 

 of Italy. 



It is situated on die small river Garza, at the foot 

 of a range of mountains, in a beautiful plain, tilled 

 with trees, covered with flowers, and watered by a 

 multitude of rivulets. It is about a league in cir- 

 cumference, surrounded with good walls, in which 

 are five gates, and defended by a castle, which is 

 placed upon a height, and completely commands the 

 town. The streets are clean and handsome ; and 

 most of them washed by small streams from the ri- 

 ver. It contains several public squares j the largest 

 of which is surrounded with piazzas, and has the 

 town-house in its centre. It.has 19 parish churches,. 





Bres 



