RHINE, one of the circles of which the present kingdom of Bavaria is composed, and what till the treaty of Vienna in 1815 formed the French department of Mont Tonnere, and parts of the departments of the Lower Rhine and the Saar. It is situated on the left bank of the river from which it takes the name, and is bounded on the northwest by the Prussian territory; on the north by Hesse Darmstadt; on the east by the river Rhine, which divides it from Baden, and by France; and on the west by the Prussian province of Saarbruche. It extends over 2155 square miles, and in 1834 contained 554,932 inhabitants, living in forty-four cities and towns, and in 665 villages. The number of the Catholics and Protestants is nearly equal. The province is divided, according to the former system introduced by France, into four departments or districts, and these are subdivided into cantons and communes. The face of the country is generally mountainous, with valleys between of considerable fertility; but none of the elevations exceeds 2200 feet. A large portion of the circle is covered with woods. Sufficient corn for the consumption is produced. Much wine is made; but little care being devoted to that article, it is almost wholly applied to internal consumption. There are some large mining operations in iron, and coals are found in abundance. Some mines of silver are now at work on a small scale; and several of quicksilver, copper, lead, and cobalt. Pot and pearl ashes are made extensively; and there are numerous saw-mills in operation. There are considerable manufactures of woollen, and also of hardware; and linen and cotton are manufactured to a small extent.

Rhine, Lower, a department of France, formed out of the German dominion of Alsace, and the territories of the former princes who were sovereigns of the several subdivisions. It is situated between 48.12. and 49.8. of north latitude, and between 6. 49. and 8. 9. of east longitude. It is bounded on the north by the department of the Moselle, and by the Bavarian province of the Rhine, from which it is separated by the river Lauter. On the east the Rhine is the boundary which divides it from the duchy of Baden. On the south it joins the department of the Upper Rhine, and on the west that of the Vosges and of the Meurthe. It extends over 1,161,862 acres, equal to 1831 square miles; and it contains 561,859 inhabitants of German origin, and the greater part of whom speak only that language. Though the majority adhere to the Catholic Church, the two sects of Protestants are numerous; the Lutherans being estimated at 160,000, and the Calvinists at 28,000. The eastern part is a rich level plain extending along the side of the Rhine, and watered by small streams issuing from the hills in the western part, and emptying themselves into that stream, after fertilizing the soil. The state of culture is good; and the land, cultivated like a garden, produces most abundant crops. In proceeding westward from the river, the ground rises gradually from hills 300 feet in height to mountains between 2500 and 4000 feet of elevation. In this mountainous district the soil is stony or sandy, and of ungrateful kind; but it abounds with extensive and valuable woods, whilst in the valleys some rich pasture-land is found. In the lower districts the chief bread-corn grown is wheat or winter barley, on the hilly parts rye and oats; but the whole department has a surplus of grain to aid the districts around them with one twelfth of its produce. On the levels great crops are raised of hemp, flax, tobacco, mustard, aniseed, hops, coriander seeds, poppy and other oil plants, and abundance of madder scarcely inferior to that of Holland. The hills afford fuel and timber, and their sides are covered with vineyards yielding abundance of wine of various kinds, and some very highly esteemed. Apples, pears, and plums, are abundant everywhere. Wine and fruit are considerable branches of the export trade. The mineral productions are insignificant, and confined to small portions of iron and some coals. There are various manufactories carried on in other parts of the district, but the chief are in and about Strasburg. They are ironmongery and firearms (including cannon), linen-weaving, spinning and weaving cottons, tanning leather, making paper, and some porcelain, and several minuter commodities. The Rhine facilitates commerce with Germany, with Holland, and with Switzerland, all of which branches are on the increase. The department elects four deputies to the legislative chamber. It contains four arrondissements, thirty-three cantons, and 554 communes. Strasburg is the capital, with a population in 1836 of 57,885.

Rhine, Upper, a department in the south-east of France, formed out of Upper Alsace, the Sundgau, and the territory of Mulhausen. It is situated between 47. 27. and 48. 14. of north latitude, and between 6. 41. and 7. 27. of cast longitude. It extends over 1586 square miles, and comprehends three arrondissements, twenty-nine cantons, and 489 communes. The population amounts to 447,019. They are generally of the German race, and speak a corrupt dialect of that language, very little differing from that spoken in Switzerland. They are for the most part of the Romish religion; but there are 40,000 Calvinists, 16,000 Lutherans, 3000 Menonites, and about 10,000 Jews, all equally recognised by the government. It is bounded on the north by the department of the Lower Rhine, on the east that river divides it from Baden, on the south it touches on Switzerland and on the Doubs, and the departments of the Upper Saone and of the Vosges bound it on the west. It is generally a hilly, in some parts a mountainous district, especially on the western side, where the range of the Vosges enters and approaches the Jura Mountains. The chief rivers are the Rhine and the llle, both of which are navigable. There are several small internal lakes, some of them in very elevated situations, especially the Black and the White Lakes, the former of which is three miles in circuit, and the latter said to be 1000 feet [7:19:222]in depth. There are also many small canals, some to facilitate conveyance, and others to promote irrigation. The agriculture is conducted with a rigid adherence to old customs. The corn does not suffice for the consumption. Wheat is only grown in a few favoured spots; the greater portion of bread-corn is rye, and potatoes are extensively cultivated as a substitute for grain. The valleys afford good fattening and dairy land; but the black cattle are for the most part brought from Germany when young, and on the pastures here yield good butter, cheese, and meat The breed of sheep has been much neglected. The horses are a small race, and not numerous. The hills have extensive vineyards, and produce abundance of wine, some of which is good, and forms an article of considerable export trade. The best sorts are those furnished in the vicinity of Colmar, Turkheim, and Befort. There are a great number of fruit-trees, but especially of cherries, from which a distillation is made; and the spirit called ki rchenwasser is highly valued in Switzerland. This is a mining district, which formerly produced silver, copper, and lead; but the operations are now chiefly directed to obtaining iron and coal. These are the foundations of the chief manufactures, which employ a great number of hands in making cast and hammered iron, and ironmongery goods of various descriptions. There are several paper-mills, and many for spinning both cotton and flax. There are also manufactures of wool and hosiery. Much potash is also made, and some porcelain and glass. These are the basis of what trade exists. The capital of the department is the city of Colmar, with 15,958 inhabitants in 1836.