a city of France, in the department of the Indre and Loire, of which, as well as of the arrondissement its own name, it is the capital. The arrondissement is 137 square miles in extent, and comprehends ten cantons and 127 communes, with 151,119 inhabitants in 1836. The city stands on a well-cultivated plain on the left bank of the river, over which is a stone bridge 1340 feet in length. Tours is a place of great antiquity, and is connected with many historical recollections. It is surrounded with ancient walls, which now form a promenade, encompassed by beautiful gardens, converted from what were at one time the tyes. The high street leading from the bridge is a picturesque mass of buildings. The cathedral is a fine Gothic building, with a beautiful portico surmounted by two towers. The palace of the archbishop is also a remarkable building; there are in all fifteen churches. It was before the revolution one of the chief seats of the silk manufacture, and is second to Lyon; but that has given place in some measure to the making of woollen goods. There are several tanneries, and also distilleries for making brandy. The country around is of great fertility, provisions are abundant and cheap, and the wine good. In 1836 the population amounted to 26,669 persons. Long. 0° 36'. 27'. E. Lat. 47° 23'. N.