Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - Pages ...
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
Below is the raw OCR text
from the above scanned image.
Do you see an error? Proofread the page now!
Här nedan syns maskintolkade texten från faksimilbilden ovan.
Ser du något fel? Korrekturläs sidan nu!
This page has never been proofread. / Denna sida har aldrig korrekturlästs.
796 KERGUELEN’S YOYAGE TO THE NORTH.
the W.N. W. tothe N. E. The fea there frequently runs very high, particularly when
the wind blows from the W. N. W., on account of the furges entering by the weftern
pallage. This is the moft likely windto make the anchors drive and break the cables,
efpecially in flowing tides, for then fhips have at the fame time to fuftain the power of
the wind and the impulfe of the flood.
Dunkirk is celebrated for its antiquity, its port, and the revolutions it has undergone.
About fixty years before the Chriftian zra, the people inhabiting the coafts of the fea
where Dunkirk now is fituated, were called Diabintes. This name, which is latinized,
is derived from the German, in which language itis thus written: Die hap inden; figni-
fying, navigating in a port of a fecure form, or navigating in a port of the fhape of a
hatchet. ‘The Morini were their neighbours, that is to fay, the people of Boulogne,
Calais, St. Omer, Therouane, and Aire; and thofe of Bergues, Honfchoot, Furnes,
Dixmude, and Nieuport, were called Menapii: thefe three people went to meet Cafar
on his conquering Gaul, and gave him battle on the banks of the Sambre : it remained
for a long time undecided, and Czefar gained it only by means of a confiderable rein-
forcement which he had received during the engagement ; notwith{tanding this his lofs
was fo great, that he was unable to fubjugate thefe people until the following year, when
he again fought with and defeated them. Czfar conquering them, left them Corvinius
for governor. The Romans conftruéted feveral fortrefles, among others that of Caffel,
fix leagues from Dunkirk inland, where the governor of the Low Countries ufed to
refide. he village of Mardyck, which has been made a good fortrefs, is. fituated a
league and a half, or thereabouts, from Dunkirk; it has given the name to feveral
camps and battles ; it was formerly the celebrated Portus Iccius, of which Caefar fpeaks
in his Commentaries, who has even retained the name; the Sieur Chifflet has drawn
a plan of it, with an ample defcription. He fays, that in the time of Ceefar the greater
part of this country was covered with wood, and overflowed in different parts, and
that there were only fome banks or roads raifed above the marfhes, which led to the
feathore; the fea then extended as far as to a town called Cithieu. ‘This town was
afterwards named St. Omer’s, from the name of a bifhop of Therouane, who built a
church and feveral houfes there for the refidence of the poor of his diocefe, and to
enable them to live by the trade of the place. After his death, the relics of the faint
being tranfported to Cithieu, his name was given to the church, and the town which
was afterwards built.
St. Victricius, bifhop of Rouen, was the firft who came to preach the Chriftian reli-
gion on the coaft of Dunkirk, in 396. ‘The laft of the Romans were driven out by
Meroue, who fubjugated this province to France, in 450. St. Eloi came to preach
the faith in 646, and made fome ftay there, which brought over a number of profelytes ;
he built a pretty Jarge church there on the downs, where for fome time a number of
tifhermen and poor people were collected together. ‘This place was foon frequented
by a number of the Chriftians of the neighbourhood : the name of Dunkirk was given
to this church, and to the town which was afterwards built on that fpot; the word
kerke fignifying church in the Teutonic language, from which the Flemifh-is derived,
‘The Low Countries were governed for a long time by forefters appointed by the kings
of France. Baldwin, in 864, was forefter of Flanders, or the Low Countries, having
yun way with and married Judith, daughter of Charles the Bald, who forgave him his
conduct, and fanctioned his marriage ;. he became the firft count of Flanders, the king:
making this country a county referving a homage to France.. The number of the inha-
bitants of Dunkirk augmenting every day, from the commodioufnefs of its natural, port,
Baldwin IL. furrounded it with a wall in 906, to protect the inhabitants from the insoate
ae
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
