a royal parliamentary and municipal burgh and seaport-town of Wigtonshire, on the S. shore of Loch Ryan, 8 miles N.E. of Portpatrick, and 50 S. of Ayr. It consists principally of three main streets running parallel to the shore, and connected by several cross streets. Among the principal public buildings are an elegant parish church, a town-hall, and a jail, which was formerly one of the residences of the noble family of Stair. Besides the parish church there are a quoad sacra church, two Free churches, three United Presbyterian, an Original Secession, a Reformed Presbyterian church, and a Roman Catholic chapel. There is likewise a poorhouse for the Rhynns of Galloway situated here. There are also an academy and several schools, some of which are endowed. Stranraer is a thriving place, and forms the emporium for the Rhynns or western district of Wigtonshire. The number of registered shipping belonging to the port at 31st December 1858 was 30, tonnage 1196. The number of vessels that entered the port during that year was 503, tonnage 25,644; left, 368, tonnage 31,564. The harbour is protected by a high-water stone-pier, with a wooden continuation, which is at present (1860) undergoing extensive improvements. Stranraer is on the line of the Castle-Douglas and Portpatrick Railway, now approaching completion. It has a weekly market and several annual fairs. It unites with Wigton, Whithorn, and New Galloway in sending a member to Parliament. Pop. (1851) of royal burgh, 3877; of parliamentary burgh, (5738).

STRAUSBURG (Fr. Strasbourg, Germ. Strassburg, anc. Argentoratum), a fortified town in France, capital of the department of Bas-Rhin, on the Ill, an affluent of the Rhine, about a mile from its confluence with that river, 250 miles E. by S. of Paris. It stands on a flat piece of ground, and is of an irregular but somewhat triangular form, 5 or 6 Strasbourg, miles in circuit. The defences consist of a wall with bastions, ditches, and outworks, and a citadel at the eastern extremity with five bastions, whose outworks stretch down to the Rhine. A bridge of boats leads across the river to the fortress of Kehl in Baden. Strasbourg is entered by seven gates. The Ill flows through the town from south-west to north-east; at its entrance there is a sluice by means of which the surrounding country can be laid under water. Immediately below this it divides into five branches, four of which re-unite a short way further down, and form the principal channel, flowing first east and then north, and receiving the canal of the Rhine from the right. The other branch, which is much smaller, flows first north and then east, and unites with the former just before leaving the town. Strasbourg is thus divided into three parts, which are joined by numerous wooden bridges. The town is very irregularly laid out; the principal streets are broad, and some of the squares spacious and regular; but in general, the streets are narrow and winding. The houses are all substantially built of stone, they rise to a great height, and have steep roofs, with two or three tiers of windows. Although Strasbourg has now for a long time belonged to the French, the character of the town, and the language, manners, and customs of its inhabitants are still entirely German. The chief public squares are that of Kleber, a native of Strasbourg, containing a statue in his honour; that of Gutenberg, likewise containing a statue of the inventor of printing, who carried out his first experiments here; that of Austerlitz near the gate of the same name; and that of Broglie, formerly the horse-market, one of the most busy in the town. Among the public buildings, the largest and most interesting is the Cathedral, one of the finest Gothic buildings in Europe, with the loftiest spire in the world. It is said to have been originally founded in 504; but this earlier edifice was almost entirely destroyed by lightning in 1007. The present building was begun in 1015, but not finished till 1439. Erwin of Steinbach, the architect of the tower, died in 1318, when his work was incomplete, but it was carried on by his son, and afterwards by his daughter. It stands at the northern side of the west front; and according to the original design, there should have been a similar tower to the south of this, but it has only been raised to a much lower height. This west front is exceedingly fine; it has three large portals, a rose window 48 feet in diameter, and three equestrian statues of Clovis, Dagobert, and Rudolph of Hapsburg. The height of the tower is 466 feet, 18 feet higher than St Peter's at Rome, and 16 above the great pyramid as it is at present; though the latter, in its original state, was probably considerably higher than the spire. The interior of the church consists of a nave and aisles, transepts and choir; and its principal dimensions are as follows:—entire length, 357 feet; height of the nave, 79 feet; length of the transepts, 140 feet; breadth of the nave, 35 feet; of the choir which has no aisles, 67 feet. The most remarkable objects in the interior are the rich painted glass in the windows, the carved stone pulpit, the font, and the celebrated clock, recently repaired, a most elaborate piece of machinery, indicating in addition to the hours the phenomena of the heavens. Some of the other churches in Strasbourg are interesting and remarkable, such as that of St Stephen, the oldest in the town; that of St Thomas, which belongs to the Lutherans, containing a splendid monument by Pegalle to Marshal Saxe; the Temple Neuf, also a Lutheran church, and St Pierre le jeune, which is partly Roman Catholic and partly Lutheran. The Jews have also a splendid synagogue here. The whole number of churches in the town is 15. The other principal buildings are the royal palace, Episcopal palace, prefects' office, town-hall, custom-house, court-house, public library of 130,000 volumes, the Royal Academy, which was originally a Protestant school, afterwards a university, but degraded from the latter rank at the French Revolution; the Theatre with an Ionic portico; and the Picture Gallery. There are many and extensive military establishments here; including an arsenal, artillery school, cannon foundry, barracks, and military hospital. The manufactures of Strasbourg are very numerous. Woolen, linen, and cotton goods, sailcloth, jewellery, metal buttons, cloaks and watches, cutlery, cast-iron goods, china, porcelain, earthenware, soap, leather, straw-hats, hosiery, paper, playing-cards, &c. There are also large bleachfields, dye-works, sugar refineries, breweries, printing-offices, and other manufacturers. The town is celebrated for its goose-liver pies (pâtés de foies gras). An extensive trade is carried on with other parts of France, as well as with Holland, Germany, Switzerland, and Italy, and it is greatly facilitated by the advantageous position of the town so near the Rhine. Strasbourg is the seat of a bishop, of a prefect, of a court of law, chamber of commerce, theological, legal, and medical faculties, numerous academies and schools, hospitals, &c. It occupies the site of the ancient Argentoratum, which probably existed before the Roman conquest, but was made by them a fortress against the incursions of the Germans, who obtained possession of it at a subsequent period, but were driven back by Clovis. About the sixth century the ancient name began to be superseded by that of Strateburguen, whence has come its present appellation. During the middle ages it was subject to the German emperors, and was the capital of Alsace, but along with that province it was ceded to Louis XIV. in 1681. Since then its defences have been greatly improved under the direction of Vauban, so that it is now one of the strongest fortresses in Europe. Pop. (1851) 75,565, of whom 35,000 are Protestants.