SAN SEBASTIAN, a rising sea-port city in the n. of Spain. capital of the Basque prov • Ince of Geipescon, 381 in. n.11.0. of Madrid by the North of Spain railway. It is built -on a peninsula, at the southern base of a conical hill, called Mont Orgullo, 400 ft. high, commanding, a most striking view, and crowned with a castle strong enough to have • obtained for itself the name of the Gibral'ar of the u. of Spain. Since its almost total destruction during the Peninsular war, the town has been rebuilt on a regular rectangu lar plan. The streets arc narrow, and are bordered by high houses, and having cur tained balconies in front. On the e. of the town is a confined gulf, formed 'by the embouchure of the Urumea; and on the w. is a maemiticent roadstead, protected ag.linst enemy and tempest by the isle of Santa Clara and series of rocks, which offer to ves sels only a narrow and dangerous pass. The roadstead is bordered by a liemitiful shore, which, on account of its suitability as a watering-place, attracts visitors from ail pas of the country. The town coninninicatea with the mainland by a narrow toegus of land. and by a bridge leading across the Urumea, and connecting San Sebastian ou
the peninsula with the railway station ou the mainland. By means of the No.th of Spain railway, which was inaugurated by the king of Spain, Aug. 15, 1864, the town is pineed in direct communication with Madrid and Paris. Commerce increases. Near 200 vessels, of about 50,000 tons, yearly enter and clear the port; annual value of imports .t•30,000, and of exports 1;78,000. The exports consist principally of wool, fione, wine, cutlery, tire-arms, copper ore, and lead; the imports arc salted fish, sugar, silk and cotton and linen goods, cocoa, machinery, coffee, timber, and iron wares. In 1863, coal• coke, wagons, rails, etc., for taw new railway, were imported from Great Britain, France, and Belgiumto the value of £538,706. Pop. estimated at 15,900.
San Sebastian has suffered from numerous sieges in the wars between France and Spain. It was captured by the duke of Wellington in 1813, when the dispossessed French garrison set it on fire.