BREST, a sea-port town of France, and formerly capital of the province of Britanny, is now the principal place of a district in the department of Finisterre. It is the Gesobrivate, or Brivat:s Portus of the Romans. One of the most remarkable events in its history is an attempt, which was made against it in 1694, by Lord Berkely, with a fleet of 29 ships of war, and a number of other armed vessels, having on hoard 12 regiments of infantry and two of marines, under the command of General Talmache ; but the fortifications of the place had been so thoroughly repaired by Marshal Vauban, and the French so completely prepared to oppose -the expedition of the British, that the latter were repulsed, after a desperate conflict, with the loss of 400 seamen, 900 soldiers, and their leader, Talmache, who died of a -wound in his thigh.
Brest is situated on the of a hill, at the norttern extremity of the bay of Brest ; and, when seen from the entrance of the bay, opens in a pleasing man ner to the view of the observer, and appears much larger to the eye than it is in reality. The works of the fortifications, mingled with gardens and summer houses, present a very interesting spectacle ; and have furnished the celebrated Vernet with the subject of one of his finest paintings. Brest is a large well-built town, and contains several very handsome and regular streets ; but the greater part are narrow, winding, and incon veniently contrived. It is divided into two parts, one of which is called the Cote du Brest, and the other the Cote de Recourrance, between which there is no com munication but by boats. It has two parish churches, a governor, a board of admiralty, and a marine seminary. It is justly considered as the capital of the French marine ; and its public buildings, and objects of curiosity, are almost all connected with naval occupations. Those which are most deserving of notice, are its barracks, magazines, rope-walks, sail-cloth manufactories, forges, and founderv. the lodging of the galley slaves, the hos pital ; the theatre, which is small but elegant ; the ar senal, an immense and superb structure ; the walk, call ed le Cours d'?jetor de la reunion, where it was intend ed that a fine statue of Neptune should be erected ; the dock-yard, which is well constructed, but which foreign ers, and even Frenchmen themselves, are very rarely permitted to inspect ; and the quay, which, on one side of the port, is above a mile in length, and 200 paces in breadth, covered with storehouses nearly throughout the whole of its extent. But it is principally famous for
its excellent road and harbour, which are capable of con taining 500 ships of war, in an anchorage of 8, 10, Ad 15 fathoms at low water ; and which, next to those of Toulon, are the safest and most spacious on the whole French coast. The entrance, which is from the south west, is a very narrow and difficult passage ; and hence it has received the name of the Gullet. It is guarded by a castle on the side next the sea, and on the land side by a large ditch and other strong fortifications. Near this entrance is a flying bridge, or a kind of chest capa ble of containing five or six persons, suspended by a cable and pulleys, and drawn to either sidc by a rope, which moves upon a cylinder. Besides the commerce connected with marine armaments, the town of Brest has a considerable trade in wines and brandy, and carries on a fishery in sardines, mackerel, and other fish. There are two fairs held at Brest on the two first days of each month, at which cattle, skins, linen cloths, and other articles of merchandise, are sold. At spring tides it is high water in the port at 30" ; but without the gullet, the tides are 2-ths of an hour earlier. The popu lation of Brest is 26,000. Its distance from Paris is 125 leagues, from Amsterdam 180, from Bourdeaux 100, from Havre 90, from Marseilles 205, from Rochelle 75, from Toulon 212, from Cadiz 300, from Lyons 165 ; and its N. Lat. 48' 23', W. Long. 4° 30'. See Tynna's ?ilmanach du C'ommerce pour 1811, p. 610. (9)