Havre

Havre (Le Havre de Notre Dame de Grace), a French port situated in the department of Seine-Inferieure, on the northern bank of the estuary of the Seine. It is 143 miles by railway from Paris. It owes its rise as the second commercial port in France to Francis I., who built and fortified the harbour. It was held by the troops of Elizabeth in 1562, and it was several times bornbarded by the English in the wars of the succeeding centuries. The harbour is a very fine one, but is difficult of approach on account of the sandbanks lying off it. To meet, this a plan was brought forward in 1889 for an outer harbour with a new entrance from deep water. Many emigrants sail annually from this port. Woollen and cotton goods, potatoes, eggs, silks, and butter, are among the chief exports, and wine and millinery in large quantities are sent out from it. The harbour dues are heavy. Ship-building is largely carried on, and there are also cannon-foundries, flour-mills, machine-factories,' and dye-works. Among the chief buildings are the church of Notre Dame (16th century), a town hall in the Renaissance style, and a museum. It has an important chamber of commerce, and hydrographical and commercial schools. Neither the sanitary nor the railway arrangements are very satisfactory; but it is much resorted to for sea-bathing.