P. 144: “The arsenal is an immense and superb building, and the dock-yard well constructed. Here is the seat of a governor, of an admiralty board, and a municipality. Brest, and Toulon, are the great depots for the French marine. It has been asserted, that the naval stores constantly kept here are sufficient for the equipment of seventy sail of men of war, which have been frequently laid up in the harbour. In the castle there is always a strong garrison, commanded by staff officers. The naval arsenal was placed at Brest, on account of its vicinity to woods, mines of iron, and other things proper for the building of ships. It was built by Louis the Fourteenth, whose successor established a marine academy here in 1752. At the defence of Brest, the celebrated engineer, Le Marcenghall Vauban, eminently distinguished himself. The castle, situated on a rock, which defends the entrance into the port, cannot be attempted on the side open to the sea, being execs-
p. 145: sively craggy, and besides protected by a large ditch and fortifications. A great quay surrounds this side of the port, which is above a mile in length, and two paces broad, where magazines used to be kept filled with all kinds of foreign merchandice. On the other side of the port is situated the fine church of Notre Dame; and in a suburb, equal in extent to half the city, is a large tower opposite the castle, at the entrance of the port. There is also on this side a great quay, bordered with extensive magazines, partly within the rock, which has been cut away to enlarge the space. These reach almost as far as the lower end of the harbour, where two docks are made very commodious for the building of ships ; the shops and houses of the workmen are placed around them : the rope walks are separated from the city by one of these docks. The entrance into the harbour is called the Gullet, and is a passage extremely difficult on account of the concealed rocks on each side the shore. W. long. 4° 26'. N. lat. 48° 23'. “There is but one advantage,” says Sir John Sinclair, “which France is possessed of, which Great Britain has any reason to envy or regret; namely, the fortunate position of the port of Brest, situated in a peninsula, which stretching far into the ocean is of great service to expedite the sailing of her fleets. But this advantage, even in the opinion of Frenchmen, is overbalanced by the great distance of that naval arsenal from the court and the capital. A circumstance which has ever proved a very considerable impediment to the success of her naval operations. Brest is 300 miles from Paris; Portsmouth but 73 from London. Had Brest been only 70 miles from Paris, the late fortunate excursion of Admiral Barrington to the French coast, would not probably have turned out so successful.”
Source
The Naval Chronicle, vol 1. January-June 1799. London. Digitized by Google.
