RHONE, a department of France, formed out of the ancient districts of the Lyonnois and the Beaujolais. It is situated between 45. 26. and 46. 25. of north latitude, and between 4. 12. and 4. 37. of east longitude. It extends over 1090 square miles, and is divided into two arrondissements, which in the year 1836 contained twenty-five cantons and 253 communes, with 482,024 inhabitants, who mostly adhere to the Catholic Church. The face of the country is irregular, in all parts hilly, and in some mountainous. The vales [7:19:226]226 R H O

Rhone, between the several elevations are narrow, and have a soil v—' poor and stony, except in that division on the rivers Saone and Rhone which includes some level tracts of greater extent, well cultivated, adorned with fine trees, and presenting a mixture of corn-fields, meadows, and vineyards. The chief rivers are the Rhone and the Saone, the latter of which falls into the former near Lyons, having received the water of the Izeron, the Garon, the Gier, with that of several smaller streams, which empty themselves at length into the Mediterranean Sea. Both the Rhone and the Saone are navigable through the whole of their course within this department. The climate is mild, but, from the vicinity of the mountains, is very variable, and from the same cause vegetation is late in the spring. The productions are, the common domestic animals, wax, honey, and abundance of game, wild fowl, and fish. The produce of corn is deficient for tile annual supply by about six weeks’ consumption. Hemp, flax, poppies, rapeseed, saffron, almonds, chestnuts, and potatoes, are extensively grown. The vine is extensively cultivated, and those on the banks of both the Saone and Rhone have, under a variety of names taken from the respective districts, acquired great celebrity. There are some, but not considerable, mines of copper, and others of vitriol and of coal. The manufacturing industry is great. The silk manufacture is the most extensive, and is chiefly carried on in and around the city of Lyons, the capital of the department.

Rhone, Mouths of the, a department in the south of France, formed out of the western part of the ancient province. It extends in north latitude from 43. 12. to 44. 1., and in east longitude from 4. 18. to 4. 46., comprehending 2003 square miles, or 512,991 hectares, equal to 1,282,382 English acres. It is bounded on the north by the department of Vaucluse, on the east by that of the Var, on the south by the Mediterranean, and on the west by the department of Gard. It is divided into three arrondissements, and these into twenty-seven cantons and 106 communes, containing, in 1836, 362,325 inhabitants. They chiefly adhere to the Romish church, though there are about 5000 Protestants, and in the city of Marseilles many Jews. They speak a peculiar patois, nearly the same as, in the time of the Troubadours, was the written language of Provence.

The surface of the eastern and southern portions of the department is mountainous. A range of hills extends from the department of the Var. Of one of them, San Venture, the height is 3120 feet. In the northern part is a chain of hills extending from Vaucluse, beginning on the banks of the Durance, and stretching from east to west to the neighbourhood of the Rhone, and rising to the height of 2500 feet above the level of the sea. The south-west part is wholly a level plain, full of morasses, and including the island of Camargue and the island Plan, in which, though some spots are fertile, yet the greater portion exhibits either heaps of pebbles or unhealthy marshes. The river Rhone is the chief stream, into which many others empty themselves before it reaches the sea. The navigation of that river is hazardous on account of its having three outlets, the passages through which are very variable, sometimes one being passable, and then in a few days nearly closed, when another is opened. To remedy this inconvenience, a canal has been opened from Arles to the small haven of Bouc, near the sea. There are several smaller canals, which serve partly for the purpose of communication, and in some measure for those of irrigation. One of the most important public works recently undertaken in France is the navigable canal which terminates in this department. It connects together the two great rivers the Rhine and the Rhone. It was begun in 1804, and was originally called the Canal Napoleon: it was afterwards designated the Canal of Monsieur; and it now bears the more appropriate name of the Canal of the Rhine and Rhone. It was completed in 1832,

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at an expense of'26,640,000 francs, or about L.1,200,000. Rhubarb. The whole length is about 210 miles; and in its progress it comes into direct communication with other great rivers.

It is divided into four portions. The first commences at the Saone, and proceeds to Dole, where it joins the Doubs.

The second portion is connected with Orchamps, Besan-con, Baume, Clival, Lisle, and Vougeancourt, where it terminates. The third portion passes by Montbeliard, Bu-rogne, Valdieu, Mulhausen, Brisach, and Grapenstadt, where the canal enters the river Die, which falls into the Rhine half a mile above Strasburg. The fourth part consists of branches from Mulhausen to Basel and Huningen, fed by water from the Rhine at the latter place. There is a sanguine anticipation that this last branch will form a cheap communication between Switzerland and the Mediterranean. In one part of its progress it communicates with the Seine, and is thus adapted to supply articles of great weight and little original cost, such as iron, wood, and stone, to the city of Paris.

As nearly one third of the surface of this department, consisting of mountains, small lakes, and morasses, is uncultivated, it does not produce a sufficient supply of corn for its own consumption. The corn is not thrashed, but, as in other warm countries, is trodden out by oxen. Neither cows nor horses are numerous, though on the island of Camargue many of the latter, of a small race, sire bred, almost in a state of wildness. The sheep are numerous, and are moved to the hills or to the plains, according; to the state of the pasturage. The chief agricultural productions on which the department depends for procuring the means of subsistence, are oil, wine, and silk. The olive-trees are abundant, but some severe winters have destroyed many of them, and diminished the price of oil one third.

Besides wine, the vineyards yield a great quantity of raisins of various excellent descriptions, which form an important source of wealth, as do other dried fruits, especially plums. A large portion of the grapes is converted into brandy. The cultivation of silk is very much diffused, but nowhere an exclusive pursuit, and does not yield more than 100,000 pounds of raw silk. The sea-fishery gives employment to a great number of persons; and salt being plentitvilly produced by natural evaporation, much of the fish taken in this department is cured for exportation. The only mines are those of coal; nor does their annual produce exceed 5000 tons. There are manufactures of silk, cotton, and other articles, chiefly confined to die cities of Marseilles and Aix, which likewise carry on the principal export trade, including the productions already noticed, and also figs, almonds, capers, coral, and essences of flowers, together with wool.