HAL, a town of Brabant, Belgium, about xo m. S.W. of Brus sels, situated on the river Senne and the Charleroi canal. Pop. (1930) 17,408. The church of Notre Dame, formerly dedicated to St. Martin is a good example of pure Gothic, begun in 1341 and finished in 1409. Its alabaster altar, by J. Mone, was completed in The bronze font dates from 1446. In the treasury of the church are costly gifts from illustrious persons. The church is chiefly celebrated, however, for its miraculous image of the Virgin. Legend says that during a siege the bullets fired into the town were caught in the folds of the dress. The hotel de ville dates from 1616 and has been restored.