NARSEILLES, the first seaport of France and of the Mediterranean, in the depart ment of Bouches-du-Rhone, is situated on the gulf of Lyons, 410 m. in a direct line s.s.e. of Paris, and in jat.43° 17' n., long. 6° 22' east. Marseilles is a military place of the fourth class, and is defended by a citadel and other works; the roads are protected by the for, titled isles of If (crowned by a castle, once a state-prison), Pomegue, and Ratonneau Its.harborls'formed by an inlet of the sea running eastward into the heart of the city-, ..and from its extent (nearly 70 acres), and its great natural and artificial advantages, it is -capable of accommodatino- 1200 vessels. The new. harbor consists of a series of docks •or bassins (de la Joliette, dfl'Entrepot, _Napoleon, Imperial), upwards of a mile long, with an area of about 100 acres. Alongside the bassins de l'Entrepot and Napoleon are the bonded warehouses, erected at an outlay of a million sterling, and the finest of the kind in Europe. From the margin of the old harbor the ground rises on all sides, forming a kind of amphitheater; and beyond the city proper the encircling hills, covered with vine yards and olive-gardens, are dotted with white country-houses. Immediately north of the harbor is the old town, with its narrow streets lined with high closely piled houses; but through it a wide avenue, with branches, has recently been driven. South of the old harbor is the church of St. Victor, the most ancient of :Marseilles; and farther to the south rises the rocky hill of Notre Dame dela Garde, with its church, held in the highest veneration by the sailors of the :Mediterranean. At the foot of the hill is the -wide promenade, Cours Bonaparte. Other fine promenades are Le Cours and Le Prado. The principal public buildings are the hotel de ville, the museum, the public library with its 78,000 vols., and the exchange. The cafes and shops of Marseilles rival those of Paris in splendor. -Marseilles is the first commercial emporium of France. It has many soap
works, iron manufactories, sug,ar refineries, etc. The large vessels and steamers annually -entering its harbor number upwards of 8,600, and measure above 2,600,000 tons. Mar -seilles is directly connected by rail with Lyons, Toulouse, and Nice; and is the packet station for Italy and the east. It is in point of population the third town of France, having had, in 1876, 234,690 inhabitants. (Total pop. of commune, including military, .318,868.) The formerly barren country round. Marseilles has been of late greatly fer tilized by means of the canal which supplies Marseilles with water from the Durance. During a portion of the year the climate of Marseilles is delightful, but in summer and autumn the heat is often intense. Cold, dry, and cutting winds from the n.e. render the -climate at times exceedingly trying. In the environs of the town are about 6,000 bastides, ror country villas.
Marseilles was founded by a Greek colony from Phocma, in A_sia Minor, about 600 .years u.c. Its ancient name was hrassalia, wntten by the Romans Afassilia. It was an ,important member of the ancient Greek community, planted numerous colonies along the .north Mediterranean shores, and introduced the germs of Greek civilization into ,Gaul. The Massaliots were long in intimate alliance with the Romans; but the city was . at!last taken by Julius Cwsar. In the 8th c. it was destroyed by the Arabs, and the mari time republics of Italy inherited the commerce of the Mediterranean which formerly had been centered in Marseilles. It was united, with the whole of Provence, to France in the reign of Charles VIII. In 1720, when it had a.gain risen to great inaportance, it was ravaged by a fearful epidemic, and 40,000 of its inhabitants swept away. Since 1830 the commerce and industry of the city have increased vastly. The conquest of Algeria has brought increasing prosperity to .Marseilles, and its North African trade is now an important part of its commerce.