BOULOGNE, named also BOULOGNE SUR LA M ER E ; a sea-port town of France, in the department of the Straits of Calais. and formerly capital of the small province of the Boulonnese in Picardy. It was anciently called Gesoriacum Navale, or Portus Geso riacus ; afterwards Bononia, or Bolonia ; and is gene rally considered as the Portus Iccius, whence Julius Cxsar embarked for the invasion of Britain. Its celebrated Pharos, or light-house, was built by Cali gula, of an octagonal form, and about 200 paces in circumference ; and was repaired by Charlemagne in 810. It was long governed by its own earls, of an illustrious family, descended by the mother's side from the second race of the French kings and after pass ing through the hands of various noble houses, it be came the property of Robert VI. Earl of Auvergne. In 1477, it was yielded by Bertrand II. of Auvergne to Louis XI. in exchange for the county of Lau ragais, and was thus united to the crown of France. In 1487, it was reduced to great extremities by Hen ry VII. of England, when he entered France to pro tect the duchy of Britanny ; and in 1545 was taken by his son Henry VIII.; but in 1550, during the mi nority of Edward VI. it was given up to the French, on payment of 400,000 crowns, to defray the ex pense of its fortifications. While it was in the pos session of the English, they surrounded the light house with strong towers ; but it was afterwards en tirely neglected, and in 1644 the whole structure was a heap of ruins.
Boulogne is situated at the mouth of the river Liane, and is divided into an upper and lower town. The former is placed on a declivity of the Chalk mountain, is surrounded with a wall, contains about 400 houses, and, before the revolution, was inhabited chiefly by nobility. The latter, though much larger and nearer the sea, is without walls, very irregularly built, with narrow winding streets, and is inhabited by trades-people. The harbour is very small, and has a difficult entrance, defended by a fort and bat teries ; but this passage has been greatly improved since 1803, when Boulogne was made the rendezvous of the flotilla, which was destined for the invasion of Great Britain. The water in the harbour scarcely rises to seven feet, at the highest tides ; so that only boats and small vessels, which do not draw more than five or six feet of water, can go up to the town. There is scarcely a road, in which vessels can ride safely at Boulogne ; and the anchorage is very bad, especially towards the north of the town, where the ground is foul, and the coast lined with small rocks.
The only secure station is to the south east of the new tower, about a cannon shot from the land, where there is tolerable anchorage, from five to fifteen fathoms, upon a firm clean sand, and where the fish ers and merchant vessels generally moor at low water, waiting to take advantage of the tide to enter the port. Since the year 1566, Boulogne was a bi shop's see ; but this with other privileges, it lost at the revolution. Not far from the town is the tomb of the unfortunate aeronaut Pilatre de Rozier. The principal article of Commerce at Boulogne is supplied by its fishery, especially of herring and mackerel ; the latter of which is carried on in the months of May,June, July, and the former in October, November, and De cember. There are about 60 fishing boats employed in this trade, with ten men to each boat. They sometimes carry their fish to Calais, on acccount of the greater convenience in landing their cargo ; but they arc chiefly sent for sale to Artois, Flanders, and Paris. The herring fishery of Boulogne had attain ed great importance so far back as the year 1542, and was patronised by the principal men in the king dom, as appears from an ancient record preserved by the treasurer of the city, who made his escape when the place was taken by the English in 1544; and, to this day, it retains so much of this celebrity, that fish from other places are very generally exposed to sale in Paris under the name of Boulogne herring. A few woollen and linen stuffs arc manufactured at Boulogne ; and it used to import salt hides from Ireland, with white wines, brandy, and salt, from French ports, for the consumption of the neighbour hood. But the chief gains of its merchants arise from the exportation of Bourdeaux, Burgundy, and Chain paigne trines, and the smuggling of brandies and cam brics to England. Besides two market days every week, there is a free market on the first Wednesday of every month, and a fair every year on the Ilth of November,which continues nine free clays; and which is chiefly remarkable for its great show of cattle. Boulogne contains about 10,000 inhabitants ; and is seven leagues south-south east from Calais, 22 west of Lisle, and 55 north east of Paris. At spring tides, it is high water at 10 hours and 30 minutes. N. Lat. 50 43 33", E. Long. 1° 36' 33". (q)