MARSEILLE. This influential French city is the chief port of the Mediterranean ; and the steam-packet station for Italy, the Peninsula, and the East. It is likewise one of the stations for the Anglo-Indian Overland Mail; although in this respect Trieste may pos sibly interfere with it at some future day. A railway is in course of construction direct from Paiis, through Dijon, Lyon, and Avig non, to Marseille.
Marseille depends entirely upon its com merce, which is extensive ; and, since the conquest of Algeria by the French, has been rapidly on the increase. Within the last few years an artificial basin has been made in the roadstead near Marseille by the construction of a dyke between the small fortified islands of Ratonneau and Pomeg,ue, in which vessels of the line may anchor with perfect safety, and on the shores of which ship-building is extensively carried on. The number of vessels which enter the port of Marseille annually is estimated at 5000 or G000; the custom house and other dues collected exceed 1,100,000/. annually ; and the municipal re
venue is about 110,000/. The French trade with the Levant is entirely carried on from Marseille. The chief imports are of raw cotton, sugar, dye-woods, and divers articles from the Levant; exports, of wines, brandy, corn, lied fruits, oil, soap, hosiery, damask, and other linens, woollens, silks, leather, bides, 3.:c. The local manufactures consist of soap, morocco and other leather, glass, porcelain, hats, gun powder, alum, sulphur, vitriol, and cutlery. The refining of sugar and salt, calico printing, the distillation of brandy, essences, and liqueurs, cork-cutting, and the preparation of anchovies, dried fruits, olives and wine for exportation are carried on.