an arrondissement of the department of the Lower Loire, in France, 332 square miles in extent. It comprehends five cantons, divided into twenty-six com- munes, and contains 39,800 inhabitants. The capital is the city of the same name, situated on the left bank of the Loire, and nine miles from its mouth. It has a good haven, where the larger ships discharge their lading into craft to convey it to Nantes. There are several establishments for building and repairing ships. The city contains 800 houses and 3980 inhabitants.