HAXODA'DI, or HAKODATE, the most northern of the opened ports of Japan, situated in 41° 40' n. lat., and 141° 15' e. long. The town stretches 3 m. along the base of a lofty promontory, which juts out into the strait of T'zagar, from the southern extremity of the island of Yesso. It is connected with the mainland by a low alluvial isthmus, and separated from the mountainous region to the n. by a plain bordered by an amphitheater of hills. The adjacent scenery is striking and picturesque, closely resembling that of Gibraltar. Hakodadi was ceded to the Tycoon by the prince of Matsumai in 1854. It was then a poor fishing-village, but has now become a place of importance. The houses are of a single story, fragile wooden buildings with single roofs, which are retained in their places by cobble stones. Each house has on its roof tub filled with water for use in case of fire. The streets are between 30 and 40 ft. wide, clean, well-drained, and macadam ized. In June 1869, after the revolution, the Mikado's forces attacked Hakodadi, which was occupied by the rebels, and a great part of the town was laid in ashes. Considering the latitude of Hakodadi, its climate is severe, and during its winter season the ther mometer has been found to indicate 18° below zero. The observations of 1859 make its summer very nearly correspond to that of Edinburgh. The snow disappears about the beginning of April (though it often lies on the mountains until midsummer); and torrents of rain, brought up from the Pacific by the s.e. wind, quickly deluge the recently snow denuded ground. Hakodadi is said it& to be healthy, and yet longevity is frequent.
The harbor is one of the finest and largest in the world, but difficult of access. It is divided into an outer and an inner harbor. By art. 3 of the treaty of Yedo (Aug. 26, 1858), Hakodadi was, together with Kanagawa and Nagasaki, opened to foreign com merce from July 1, 1859. It maintains commercial intercourse with all the large ports of Japan; a monthly steamer of the Pacific Mail runs to Yokohama. In 1869 the imports were $789,323; the exports, $990,710; but in 1871 they were much reduced. In 1877 the imports had only a value of $15,000, while the exports were valued at $430,000. Fish, oil, and fish-manure are the chief exports. There is a large fluctuating population connected with the fisheries. The registered Japanese population of the town in 1872 numbered 14,633. In 1877 there were 84 foreigners resident in Hakodadi, of whom 23 were British.
HAL, a t. of Belgium, in the province of South Brabant, on the Senne and the Charleroi canal, 10 m. s.e. of Brussels. It is a station on the Mons railway. Tho church of St. Mary is a rich Gothic edifice, containing a chapel resorted to by pilgrims on account of a black miracle-working wooden image of the virgin, 2 ft. high, which has acquired enormous wealth from the offerings of pious devotees. The high altar has a marble reredos, unequaled in the Netherlands, carved by Mone, a native artist, 1533. The town has breweries, tanneries, distilleries, several mills, and manufactures of wicker-work and articles of wood. Pop. '70, about 8,000.