BORDEAUX, bor'dt? (anciently, Lat. Bur digala. from. perhaps, a Celtic or Iberian source). One of the must important seaports of France, seat of an archbishop, and capital of the Depart ment of Gironde (Slap: France, F 7). It is beautifully situated in a plain on the left bank of the Garonne, about tin miles from its mouth in the Atlantic. Ships of more than 1000 tons burden can easily ascend the river at high water to Bordeaux, which is accessible at all times to vessels of 00 tons. Its harbor is ca paeiou-. and counts a floating dock among its many facilities. Next to Havre, it is the chief port for the transatlantic trade, and is an im portant centre of the French cod-fishing ships fui Newfoundland and elsewhere. The river is crossed by a noble bridge of 17 arches, 532 yards in length, erected by the elder Deschamps in 1811-21. The old town, consisting partly of high wooden houses of the Fifteenth Century, has narrow, crooked streets; but the newer parts of the city and the suburbs have wide streets, tine squares, and pleasant promenades lined with trees. The Cathedral of Saint Andre, which was consecrated in 1090, is remarkahle for its beau tiful towers, IGO feet high. The Church of Sainte Croix is a Romanesque basilica of the Tenth Century ; that of Saint Seurin is also very old. The former archiepiscopal palace is used as a town hall. The university numbers 100 pro fessors and 2000 students. The city possesses a public library of about 200,000 volumes and 1384 MSS., including a MS. copy of Montaigne's essays.
The principal branches of industry include the production or manufacture of sugar, brandy, liquors, vinegar, nitric acid, printed calicoes, woolen goods. carpets, hats, paper, earthenware, glass bottles, metallic wares, and resinous arti cles. The rope works, cooperages, and dockyards are extensive and full of activity. The Canal du Midi, connecting Bordeaux with the Mediterra nean, enables it to supply the whole south of France with the colonial produce which it im ports: and also with English tin, lead, copper, coal, dyestuffs, herrings, etc. Wine, brandy, vin
egar, dried fruits, hams, turpentine, and glass bottles are among its principal exports.
Except the wines of Champagne, no French wines are so much exported to foreign countries as those grown in the district of Bordeaux and known as Bordeaux Wines. Sonic of them are red (known in England as claret), others white. Of the red wines, Medoe is one of the best known. The red wines produced by the vine yards of ChAteau-Lafitte, Chateau-Latour, Chil teau-Slargaux. and Haut-Brion are particularly celebrated for their quality. The white wines of Graves and those of Sauternes. Barsae, Preig nay, and Langon are in the highest repute. Popu lation. in 1890, 256,906.
In ancient times Bordeaux was called Burdi gala, and was the capital of the Bituriges Vivisei. It was a very prosperous town in the time of the Romans; was made by Hadrian the capital of Aquitania and was both the prin cipal emporium of the southwest of Gaul and the seat of its best educational institutions. It was taken by Charles :Martel in 735, and was plundered by the Northmen in the Ninth Cen tury. It became the capital of the /May of Guienne, and in 1152 passed, by the -carriage of Eleanor of Guienue with Henry of Normandy (afterwards 'Henry II. of England), under the dominion of England. Bordeaux was f a con siderable time the seat of the splendid Court of Edward the Black Prince. During the Revo lution liordeaux was the principal seat of the Girondists. and suffered fearfull:, at the hands of the Terrorists. Its inhabitants were the first to declare for the Bourbons di 1814. During the Franco-Prussian War a &legation of the Government of National Defense, retreat ing before the advancing German Army. sta tioned itself. December, 1870. at Be)rdeaux, and the first sitting's of the National Assembly were held there in 1871. R-isa llonheur was born in Bordeaux. See: Lourget, Documents relatifs an. port de Itort•oo.r 185'9 ) ; u 11 inn. Ll is toire de Bordeaux depuis les originsk 181)5 (Bordeaux. 1895) : :Maurine. L'assainissc ment de ( Bordeaux. l890).