(Fr. Ostende), a fortified seaport-town of Belgium, province of West Flanders, stands on a low piece of ground, nearly surrounded with water, 12 miles W. of Bruges, and 67 N.W. of Brussels. The town is clean, the streets regularly laid out, and the houses, which are neatly built, present a cheerful appearance, from being painted of various colours. The place is, however, generally considered dull and uninteresting by English travellers; and it has few public buildings of any note. The town-hall, though large and handsome, is a plain structure; and of the several churches, hospital, barracks, arsenal, and prison, none are in any way remarkable. There are several squares and public walks; the most agreeable of the latter, and at the same time the most noteworthy object in Ostend, being what is called the Digue, a breakwater 40 feet high, faced with stone, which extends for half a mile OSTEOLoGY between the sea and the fortifications. This is much frequented as a promenade, and commands an extensive view over a flat sandy expanse, entirely destitute of trees. The harbour, though difficult of access, on account of a sandbar at the mouth, is large, and forms the termination of a magnificent series of canals which intersect the country in a sort of network. Vessels of 300 tons may sail by this means as far as Bruges. The sluices by which the canal communicates with the harbour are remarkably well constructed. Ostend is much frequented by the Belgians as a watering-place, and the king and queen frequently visit it in the summer. There are numerous bathing-machines, and a good bathing-house. The manufactures are not of any importance, comprising linen, sail-cloth, lace, hats, tobacco, and other articles. The cod and herring fishery gives employment to many of the inhabitants, and oysters, brought over from the English coast, are fattened here in salt reservoirs, and sent to Paris under the name of Ostend oysters. The trade of Ostend is very considerable, consisting in the exportation of rural produce, leather, tallow, salt, &c., and the importation of colonial produce, wool, wines, manufactured goods from England, and other articles. Its prosperity has been much increased by the introduction of railways, by which it is connected with the chief places in Belgium, France, and Germany. The fortifications of the town are very strong, as it is one of the fortresses that defend the French frontier of Belgium. They consist of ramparts, a broad ditch, and a citadel, and the town is entered by four gates. In the ninth century a small village existed on this site, which 200 years after had become a busy seaport; but this town was destroyed by the sea in 1334. The present town was afterwards built, and gradually rose from a small fishing village to its present importance. It was walled in 1445, and regularly fortified by the Prince of Orange in 1583. During the war of the Dutch against Spain, Ostend sustained a memorable siege for more than three years (1601-1604). So tremendous was the bombardment that the noise of the Spanish artillery is said to have been occasionally heard at London. At last, after a loss of 50,000 men on the part of the garrison, and 80,000 on that of the Spaniards, the town surrendered on honourable terms; and the Spanish general Spinola was put in possession of Ostend, now reduced to heaps of ruins. It has since sustained several sieges, successful and unsuccessful; and in 1826 was partially destroyed by the blowing up of a magazine. Pop. 14,655.