Brest
Brest is a seaport in the northwest of France, department of Finisterre. It has one of the best harbors in France and is the chief station of the French marine having safe roads capable of containing 500 men-of-war in from eight to fifteen fathoms at low water. The entrance is narrow and rocky and the coast on both sides is well fortified. The design to make it a naval arsenal originated with Richelieu and was carried out by Duquesne and Vauban in the reign of Louis XIV, with the result that the town was made almost impregnable. Brest stands on the summit and sides of a projecting ridge, many of the streets being exceedingly steep. Several of the docks have been cut in the solid rock, and a breakwater extends far into the roadstead. The manufactures of Brest are inconsiderable, but it has an extensive trade in cereals, wine, brandy, sardines, mackerel, and colonial goods. It is connected with America by a cable terminating near Duxbury, Mass.
The English and Dutch were repulsed at Brest in 1694. In 1794 it was blockaded by Howe, who won a great victory off the coast over the French fleet.
Our escort of destroyers remained with us until the following morning, May 6th, seeing us safely through the war zone. The remainder of our voyage was accomplished at a speed of twenty knots without event of importance until arriving off Ambrose Light, the entrance to New York Harbor. Here a thick fog again delayed us, causing us to drop anchor until late in the afternoon of the same day, May 12th. The sky cleared about this time and we proceeded up the channel and to our regularly assigned berth, making fast to the dock in Hoboken at 9:28 P. M.
When the members of the crew went ashore they were subjected to excited cross-examination by many people, for rumor had decreed that we had been torpedoed and sunk with a tremendous loss of life. Of course we were not permitted to divulge any information along this line, but it was amusing to hear what interesting stories were narrated by the home-folk and it was with much satisfaction that we assured them, after the manner of Mark Twain, that the report of our deaths had been very much exaggerated.