VAWDAUA. 



VAR. 



MO 



I OuBOTick. saf. and easily aoowalbl* for vesel. bat having the 

 i of beiaV MBoUly supplied with water. The other principal 

 , ar*. SooUa Sound, CUvquot, Nitin.t, all on the western 

 The ill ni of UM ialand pre* ut an alternation of rocky chfl 

 ad *ndy DBMOM. At BO groat dl*Unoo from the sea U a compact 

 IBM of rucfed mountains, whose summit* are oovered with snow. The 

 Maud contain* a eoonderabU quantity of fertile land, covered with 

 good natural RT***. There ar* numerous email tribe* of Indian* on 

 UM island, of whom aome have been found of a friendly disposition. 



Tb* y mi-Minn of Xootk* Sound had nearly given rise to a war with 

 Saaia. who claimed it, and had expelled some English settlers from 

 Nooika, but it was at length rwignwl to England, and has since 

 reotuoed in their *"~< Vancouver Ialand w* made over in 1846 

 to UM Hodson'* Bay Company by a charter, on condition that they 

 should coloni-e it To tome extent this ha* been done. 



North of Qooen Charlotte'* Sound lie Q Vharlottei IiUmdt, 

 between 68" and 64* N. lat. The group consists of three islands, ex- 

 tending about 150 mile* in length, by about CO miles in breadth. In 

 UM** island* are Mveral excellent harbours. At Mitchell Harbour, on 

 UM middle island, and at other ipote, gold has been found, embedded 

 in qoaru rook. Trace* of silver have been found in the rocks. The 

 iatorior of the ialand* i* hilly and well wooded, the climate is healthy, 

 and the soil remarkably fertile. The islands contain some beds of 

 coal, and several fine specimen* of lead aud copper have been obtained. 



\ ANDM.IA. [ILLINOIS. 1 



\.VSnoTKJJE. [PoxzA.] 



VAXXKA [MORBIHAN.) 



YAK, a department in the south-east of France, is bounded N. by 

 B*BH*-Alp**, K. by Piedmont (from which it is partly separated by 

 UM river Var), 8. by the Mediterranean, and W. by the department 

 of Booth** dn-Rh6ne. It* greatest length is 83 miles; the extreme 

 breadth U 40 miles. The department, including its islands, lies 

 between 43* 67' and 48 55' N. lat, 5 41' and 7 15' E. long. The 

 area of the department is 2780 square miles. The population in 1851 

 was 867,067, giving 128*8 inhabitant* to a square mile, or 46-28 below 

 the average per square mile for the whole of France. 



The coa*t i* rocxy, and i* skirted by numerous islands. From the 

 month of the Var, at the eastern extremity of the department, to Cape- 

 de-U-Oaroupe, the coast form* an open bay, on the shore of which is 

 the town of Antibe*. Westward of Cape-de-la-Qaroupe are the some- 

 what deeper bay* of Juan and Napoule, separated from each other 

 by a small intervening headland, aud protected seaward by the Lei-ins 

 Islands, comprehending tho islands of Sainte-Marguerite (which lies 

 opposite Cannes) and 8t-Houor.it, with some smaller ones. These 

 ialand* are defended by a fort, and further protected by the surround- 

 ing rook*: they abound with rabbit* and partridges. Some other small 

 gulf*, u the port of Agay, the gulf of Frejus, the gulf of Grimaud, 

 and the roadstead of Hydras, lie to the west of the gulf of Napoule. 

 The roadstead of Hyeres i* bounded on the west of the peninsula of 

 Uieos, which u connected with the mainland by a low sandy isthmus. 

 | HrkkEs.) The coast is for the most part high, but some of the bays 

 preeent a low sandy shore. There ara several small seaports, but 

 none of any importance except Toulon. 



The department i* mountainous. A branch of the Alps extends 

 from east to west through the department, and separates the valley of 

 the Argens and the tract* watered by the Siagne, Loup, and Var, all 

 of which flow into the Mediterranean from the valley of the Durance, 

 which belongs to the river-basin of the Uh6ne. Another rango of 

 mountain* parallel to the above, and kuown a* 'Les Monts des Maures,' 

 extends along the coast between Hyores and Frejus, separating the 

 cow* from the valley of the Argens, which river after draining the 

 valley in it* eastern course turn* to the south-east and flows past the 

 eaitrn extremity of Les Mont* des Maures' into the Mediterranean 

 near Frejua, A group of mountain* forming the continuation of ' Les 

 i dw Maura*,' extending north-eastward from Frejus, is known 

 iQt-bterel, and ia distinguished by its picturesque character. 

 The hill of Faron, immediately above Toulon, rises to the height of 

 ) feet; and Mont Caoume, near the same town, is 2606 

 tt above the level of the sea. The summit of the mountain La- 

 tate-Bauma, which is near the boundary of Bouches-du-Rhdne, is 

 ' bet ; and the mountain of Sainte-Victoire, a little farther north, 

 rhe coast eastward from Toulon is occupied by the 

 JT *ad lower aeoondary formation*, and presents iu many parts 

 J* **" io " m tne more inland part* these formations 

 I by the limestone* and other secondary rocks which 

 " b ** w-B * *<oi and th* carboniferou* groups. 



1 mineral* of the department are coal, lignite, marble, 

 wrpbyrv, granite, senntine, iaper, and gypsum. There 

 WrjaH-work, on tno ooat, especial, at Hyores. 



r* mall, and none of thorn are navigable. The Var, 

 '<* department i* named, riae* in the department of 



I!? L l !7 1 mUr * *"* of Colmar ' 1 : ftcr "">"" ft" l*g< 

 " Sardinian Mat**, and lower down aeparate* the Italian 



> French department of Var. In it* upper 



I^if^.!^ H?. riTe f !? >* nU> ; in'it. loweVplirt are many 

 i.Und*. Th. whole length of the river i* about 70 mile*. In 

 rpring th* V* U subject to great floods ; it frequently changes it* 



bed, and i* useless to navigation. The chief feeder of the Var, on 

 the French side, is the Estoron. The Gapou, or Oapeau, in the western 

 part of the department, the Argens in the centre, and the Siagne and 

 Loup in the eastern part, flow into the Mediterranean, aud, with their 

 several tributaries, belong wholly to this department. The Verdon 

 flows into the Durance, and forms in one port the northern boundary. 

 The Durance itself just touches the north-west corner. The length 

 of the Aliens, the most considerable river which belongs wholly to 

 this department, may be estimated at about 60 miles : it receives the 

 Caulon, the Calami, the united stream of the Bresque and the Braque, 

 the Artuby, and the Endro. Three shore-lake* of considerable extent 

 are found near the coast : the chief ia that of Pesquier, in the isthmus 

 of Qiens ; the others are those of Napoule and Villepey. 



The climate of the department is temperate ; the winters are mild 

 except when 'the mistral' blows. The south-east wind is very 

 relaxing. 



The soil is by no means favourable, taken as a whole, however 

 'ertile particular spots may be; and from the hilly nature of tho 

 country, cultivation is very much carried on by manual labour. Only 

 about a sixth part of the surface of the department is under the 

 jlough. The produce in grain is not equal to more than half the 

 jonsumption of the department. There is a considerable extent of 

 icath or other open pasture : in summer however the gross is so 

 scorched up, that the sheep are chiefly sent at that season to food iu 

 ;he mountain pastures of the department of Basses-Alpes. Sheep, 

 oatu, mules, asses, and pigs are numerous. The vineyards cover 

 170,000 acres, and the orchards and gardens 5000 acres. The vine 

 md the olive are cultivated in terraces on the slopes of the hills. Tho 

 department yields about 17,600,000 gallons of white and rod wines 

 and good muscatel annually. Tho olives are used for making oil, or 

 are exported for use at the table. The pomegranate, the citron, tho 

 orange, the almond, and the fig grow in the open air ; the plum and 

 the peach are grown and preserved for exportation ; and the caper 

 and the jujube are cultivated. Mulberry-trees are extensively grown 

 for the production of silk. Tobacco is an important crop, and 

 odoriferous plants are abundantly cultivated. The woodlands, which 

 cover about 570,000 acres, yield firs, cork-trees, and the kermes oak. 

 Game ia abundant, and a great number of bees are kept, which produce 

 exquisite honey. 



The tunny, anchovy, and sardine fisheries are actively carried on 

 along the coast ; and the rivers yield abundance of fish the sturgeon, 

 trout, eel, shad, barbel, tench, carp, and cray-fun. 



The department is divided into four arrondissements, as follows : 



1, In the first arrondissement the chief town is DRAOUIGNAN, which 

 is also the capital of the department. CoMos, population 2125; 

 Salemes, population 2544 ; Loryues, population 4106, on the road 

 between Brignoles and Draguignan ; Le-Luc, population 3441, ou 

 the road from Toulon to Frcjus; Sl.-Tropez, a small sea-port with 

 3538 inhabitants ; and Frcjus, population aboub 3000, on the coast. 

 Frcjus, the representative of the ancient Forum Julii, is built on an 

 eminence about a mile from the sea and the mouth of the Argens. 

 Forum Julii was a place of importance in Roman times ; it has remains 

 of an aqueduct, an amphitheatre, a triumphal arch, of the two moles 

 that form the entrance to the harbour, and other ancient buildings. 

 The ancient harbour communicated with the sea by a canal fed from 

 the Argens. Long neglect converted the harbour and canal into a 

 marsh which has been recently drained, aud corn now grows where 

 the Roman galleys formerly rode at anchor. Frejus gives title to a 

 bishop, whose diocese is the department of Var. 



2. In the second arrondisseuient the chief town, Brignoles, is situ- 

 ated in a fertile basin screened by hills, 25 miles W. by 8. from 

 Drnguiguan, and has 5581 inhabitants in the commune. It is a well- 

 built town, and has manufactures of broadcloth, soap, glue, wax, 

 candles, pottery, leather, and brandy. The trade in those articles 

 and in Bilk, wine, liqueurs, olive-oil, plums, and fruits, is considerable. 

 Haryole, situated on a small affluent of the Argeus, in a beautiful 

 district, has about 3000 inhabitants, who manufacture paper, leather, 

 brandy, and confectionery. Cotignac, population 3602 for the com- 

 mune, iu the country between the Bresque and the Argens. St.- 

 Maximin, a walled-town near the source of the Argens, bos 6385 

 inhabitants iu the commune, manufactories for cotton-yarn and 

 woollen-stuffs, some brandy-distilleries, marble-quarries, and some 

 trade in saffron. There are a school of arts and trades, a public 

 library of 3000 volumes, and a handsome church built iu 1283. 

 Koqiubruuant, 8 miles from Briguolcs, stands at the foot of a rock, 

 crowned with tho remains of a castle, which was burnt by the 1'ied- 

 montose in 1707 : population 1500. 



8. In the third arrondissemeut the chief town, Qratte, situated on 



