ROUEN, a city of France, and the capital of the department of the Lower Seine, formerly of Norman dy, is pleasantly situated in a fertile and agreeable country on the right bank of the Seine. The town, which is of an irregular oval form, is two miles long and one broad. The streets, though straight, are nar row; and from the height of the houses, and the pro jection of the upper stories of many of them, which are built of wood in the ancient style, the rays or the sun scarcely reaches the street. The quays on the Seine are extensive, and contain many good houses. The squares of the town are small and poor. In the space called the Marche aux Veaus, is the statue of the celebrated Maid of Orleans, whom the English burnt as a witch in 1430. One of the principal pub lic buildings is the cathedral, which was founded by William the Conqueror, and is considered one of the finest specimens of Gothic in France. It has a very handsome front, with two lofty steeples, and it had a bell thirteen feet high, and eleven feet in diameter, which probably still exists. The church of St. Mac lou is much admired, and also that of St. °nen, which is a fine Gothic structure near the centre of the city. The town-house is handsome, and the barracks arc capable of holding a number of troops; and the great hospital is a fine building. The other public build ings are the parliament house, the old castle, the pri son, the exchange, and several churches and convents, now used for secular purposes.
The bridge of boats over the Seine, which rests on nineteen large barges, rising and falling with the tide, was to be replaced by a handsome bridge of stone, which must now be nearly finished. Rouen has long
been one of the principal manufacturing cities in France. Coarse cottons are made here to a great ex tent, and finer ones have been making great progress. Woollen and linen goods are also manufactured, toge ther with wax cloth, paper, hats, pottery, iron goods. The dyeing of woollen and cotton has been long car ried on here to a great extent; and there are several sugar' refineries. It has been estimated that 50,000 of its population are employed in manufactures; and that the annual value of its industry is about £2,0000,000 sterling.
The commerce of Rouen is not great. By the river, which is here from 500 to 800 feet wide, it is seventy miles from the sea. Ships of 150 to 200 tons burden can go up to the town by the aid of the tide, larger ones being lightened further down the river. The in tercourse between Rouen and Paris is likely to be much increased by the use of steam-boats.
Among the literary institutions of Rouen are the Academy of Belles Lettres, instituted in 1744; a so ciety of agriculture and the arts, founded in 1791; classes for medicine and surgery; a central school; a school of navigation and drawing; a botanical gar den; a museum of natural history; and a collection of paintings.
The ein irons of the town are very agreeable. The beautiful promenade or the emirs on the banks of the river, the esplanade, and the hill of St. Catherines, present to the eye of the stranger many agreeable ob jects. Population 87.000. East Long. 1° 5' 59", North Lat. 49° 20' 27''.