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FRANCE. 



At the mouth of the Seine stands Havre, with 24,000 inhabitants, vvl)ich niay be considered 

 the port of Paris and Rouen. It has constant communication with all parts of the world, by 

 means of regular packet ships, and the Seine is navigated by numerous steam vessels, some of 

 which run up to Paris. 



Lisle, or Lille, situated in a rich and higlily cultivated plain, upon the river Deule, is one of 

 the best built cities in France. Its neat and spacious streets, its formidable fortifications, its 

 fine citadel, the master-piece of the celebrated French engineer, Vauban, its canals, and its 

 numerous public edifices, give it an imposing appearance. Its extensive trade and manufac- 

 tures rank it among the most flourishing French cities. Population, 70,000 ; the immediate 

 neighborhood, to the distance of 30 miles, is the most populous district in France. 



Upon the Channel to the north are Dunkirk, a place of l)istorical interest, with a good harbor 

 and a flourishing commerce, 25,000 inhabitants ; Calais, 10,500 inhabitants, remarkable as the 

 nearest point of approach between England and France, being but two and a half hours' sail 

 from Dover ; and Boulogne, with 21,000 inhabitants, a strongly fortified town, and celebrated 

 bathing-place. 



^drras, with 23,400 inhabitants, a pretty and flourishing town, noted for its citadel ; Cam- 

 bray, 17,700 inhabitants, upon the Scheldt, the see of a bishopric once occupied by the illus- 

 trious Fenelon ; and Amiens, 45,000 inhabitants, once the capital of Picardy, are among the 

 most remarkable places in this quarter of the kingdom. 



Caen, upon the Orne, with 40,000 inhabitants, distinguished for the number of its learned 

 institutions, and its extensive commerce ; Cherbourg, 18,500, one of the principal stations of 

 the French Navy, and remarkable for its vast docks, and its magnificent breakwater, extending 

 upwards of two miles into the sea ; Rennes, upon the Vilaine, formerly the capital of Brittany, 

 with flourishing manufactures, and a population of 30,000 souls, communicating with the Chan- 

 nel at St. IMalo, by a canal, and with the Bay of Biscay by the navigable river upon which it 

 stands ; and Brest, upon the western coast of France, the principal French naval station, with 

 a fine harbor, splendid quays, and extensive docks, hewn out of the rock, are the chief places 

 of interest in northern France, not previously mentioned. 



Toulouse is pleasantly situated upon the Garonne, at the termination of the Languedoc Ca- 

 nal. It is an ancient town, and was once the capital of the Visigothic kingdom, and afterwards 

 of Languedoc. Its manufactures are flourishing, and it contains several important literary es- 

 tablishments. Population, 60,000. To the north are Montauhan, 25,000 inhabitants, and 

 Limoges, 27,000, and, to the northeast, Clermont, 28,250, places important for their popula- 

 tion, manufactures, and literary institutions. 



There are several cities in the east of France, which deserve notice. Strasbourg, with 50,000 

 inhabitants, is a handsomely built and strongly fortified city, pleasantly situated in a fertile plain 

 upon the 111, near its confluence with the Rhine. It was once the capital of Alsace, and the 

 language and customs are chiefly German. Its trade and commerce are extensive, and its lit- 

 erary establishments numerous and respectable. A bridge of boats across the Rhine, connects 

 it with the German territory. The Cathedral or Minster of Strasbourg is one of the finest 

 specimens of Gothic architecture in Europe ; the tower, in particular, is a master-piece of 

 architecture, and is remarkable for its height, which is 474 feet. Its clock is also a curious 

 piece of mechanism, indicating the motions of the planets, as well as the hours of the day. 



Besancon, formerly capital of Franche Compte, is one of the best built and oldest cities of 

 France. Its manufactures, particularly of clocks and watches, are extensive, and it contains 

 several literary institutions of note. The canal of Monsieur passes by Besancon, and renders 

 it the depot of the trade between the towns of Switzerland and the north of France, and those 

 of the south. Population, 29,200. 



Dijon, formerly the capital of Burgundy, is pleasantly situated in a fertile plain, and is hand- 

 somely built, with spacious streets and elfgant houses. Population, 25,550. 



Troyes, with 23,750 inhabitants, stan i^ upon the Seine ; its trade and manufactures are ex- 

 tensive. To the north is Rheims, distinguished for its noble cathedral, in which the French 

 kings have hitherto been consecrated, until t^Q late revolution ; in this ceremony, a vial was 

 used, called the sacred ampulla, said to have ."^en brought down from heaven by a dove. The 

 wine cellars of Rheims, excavated in limestone rock, and in which are preserved the fine wines 

 of the district, destined for exportation, are also a curiosity. Population, 36,000. 



Melz, with 44,400 inhabitants, upon the Moselle, and JYancy, with 30,000, upon the Meurthe, 

 are important towns in the ancient province of Lorraine. The former is remarkable for its 



