VIENNE, HAUTE. 



VIJI ISLANDS. 



on the Gartempe, 27 miles S.W. from Poitien, has a tribunal of first 

 instance, an ecclesiastical college, and 4Sl>4 inhabitants. The town is 

 ill-built. Biscuits and highly esteemed macaroons are made ; and 

 there are paper-mills, blt-ach-grounds, and tail-yards. Considerable 

 trade is carried on in cattle fattened in the neighbourhood for the 

 Pant market*. The ecclesiastical college is established in the buildings 

 of the former hospital of Maison-Dien, founded in the llth century. 

 These buildings are spacious, of very curious construction, and contain 

 several groups of strange allegorical figures. 



This department, and the adjacent one of Deux-Sevres, constitute 

 the diocese of Poitiers, the bishop of which is a suffragan of the arch- 

 bishop of Bordeaux. It is in the jurisdiction of the High Court and 

 within the limits of the University- Academy of Poitiers. It is included 

 in the 18th Military Division, of which Tours is head-quarters. The 

 department returns two members to the Legislative Body of the 

 French empire. 



VIENNE, HAUTE, a department of France, is bounded N. by the 

 departments of Vienne and Indre, E. by ('reuse, S. by Correze and 

 Dordogne, and W. by Charent*. Its greatest length from north to 

 south is 60 miles ; its greatest breadth at right angles to the length is 

 50 miles. The area is 2180 square miles; and the population in 1851 

 numbered 319,37'J. 



The Gatine Hills, which extend from the great central mountain 

 group of Auvergne towards the month of the Loire, cross the south 

 of the department from east to west Mont-.Jargeau, their most 

 elevated point, is about SI 14 feet high. Another chain, nearly parallel 

 to these, crosses the centre of the department, separating the valley of 

 the Vienne from that of its feeder the Gartempe. The most elevated 

 point in this chain is Le-Puy-le-Viiix, 3196 feet high. The mountains 

 have generally round tops. The whole department is occupied by the 

 primary and lower secondary formations. Iron, copper, lead, anti- 

 mony, and coal-mines are worked. There are numrrous iron-works. 

 Porcelain-clay and granular felspar are obtained. Good granite and 

 ' building-stone and limestone are dug. 



The department is chiefly included in the basin of the Loire. Tho 

 southern slopes of the Gatine Hills belong to the basins of the 

 Charrat* and the Garonne. On these slopes the Tardoire and the 

 Baivliat, which unite and flow into the Charente and the Dronue, 

 the Isle, and the Lour, which belong to the system of the Garonne 

 rise; bat only a small portion of the npper coarse of the-<e rivers 

 belongs to this department. Of the tributaries of the Loire, the 

 Vienne is the only one belonging to this department, which it enters 

 on the east side, a few miles from it* snarce (in the department of 

 Correct), and crosses from east to west into the department of 

 Charcnte, receiving several small feeders on both banks, and passing 

 the city of Limoges. The Gartempe, a feeder of the Crease, drain* the 

 north of the department. None of the riven named are navigable in 

 this department. Ponds are numerous, bat none of them is large. 



The department is traversed by 7 imperial, 9 departmental, and 

 34 parvh roads. 



From the general elevation of the surface the air is colder than the 

 latitude would lead one to expect The atmosphere is moist, and the 

 temperature changeable. 



The area of the department ia round numbers is 1,370,000 acres, of 

 which about M3.000 acres are under the plough. A considerable 

 quantity of rye and buckwheat is grown ; the growth of corn is how- 

 ever insufficient for the support of the inhabitant*, but the deficiency 

 is made up by the abundance of chestnuts. Tho meadows and 

 pasture-land* amount to above 340,000 acres, besides 230,000 acres of 

 heath, common, or other open pasture, and grating forms the most 

 important branch of agricultural industry. Great numbers of males, 

 horses of the best Limousin breed, and of horned cattle, are reared. 

 Horse-races and a cattle-show are held yearly at Limoges, and prizet 

 are distributed. Pieji are numerous. The vineyards occupy only 

 about 7000 seres, and produce only ordinary red wine. The wood- 

 lands occupy above 90,000 acres, chiefly in small clumps or in copses. 

 ' and walnuts 'are grown in great abundance, and there is a 

 e quantity of oak-timber. Game is plentiful. A great 

 of bees are kept. Besides iron, which is tho most important 

 fa>dntri*l product of the department, coarse woollens, flannel, blan- 

 kets, linen, leather, paper, nails, glass, and pottery are manufactured. 



Tho department is divided into four arrondiasements, which, with 

 tbair subdivisions and population, are as follows : 



r-~. , nites S.W. from Limoges, has some Roman remains an 1 the 

 rnino of a castle of the middle ages. Sl.-ISmard, an an eminence on 

 the right bank of the Vienae, over which there is a handsome bridge, 



is a tolerably well-built town, with about 5600 inhabitants. Its 

 boulevards command a pleasant prospect. The church is of very 

 great antiquity. There are paper-mills and copper works, and the 

 townsmen manufacture wollen-stufTs, common hats, porcelain, and 

 sheepskin and other leather. At Eymoutiers (or Aimoutier), which 

 is on the left bank of the Vienne, in a mountainous district, there 

 are tan-yards ; and cotton-yarn is manufactured : population of the 

 commune 3500. 



2. In the second arrondissement the chief town is St.- Trieir, which 

 is situated in the south of the department on the Loue, a feeder of 

 the Isle, and has a college and 7403 inhabitants in the commune. 

 The town is ill-built ; it has five parish churches, one of which, a 

 collegiate church, is considered an admirable specimen of gothic 

 architecture. The townsmen manufacture porcelain and common 

 earthenware, woollen-cloths and coarse woollen-stuffs, and leather. 

 There are some iron-works. C/ialtu, a small place of about 2000 

 inhabitants, near the source of the Tardoire, baa some historical 

 interest as being the place where Richard I. (Cocmxle-Lion) of Eng- 

 land received his death-wound, whilst besieging the castle that formerly 

 defended the town, 1199. It is divided by the Tardoire into the 

 upper and the lower town. St.-Gcrmain-la-Bdla, N. E. of Yrieix, has 

 2500 inhabitants in the commune. 



3. In the third arrodissement the chief town SeUae, is situated on 

 a hill above the Vin9on, a feeder of the Qartempe, 24 miles N. by W . 

 from Limoges, and has 3775 inhabitants, who manufacture paper, 

 broadcloth, linen, leather, blankets, and hats. Near the town there 

 U a largo druidical altar. Among the other towns may be mentioned 

 the following Beuina, on the Gartempe : population, 2640; Chdtcau- 

 Poiuat, also on tho Gartempo : population, 3337 ; Le-Dorat, N. of 

 Bellac on the Scvre a feeder of the Gartempe, with a fine church, au 

 ecclesiastical college, and 2500 inhabitants ; and Maynac-Laval, E. of 

 Lc-Dorat : population, 3600. 



4. In the fourth arrondissement the chief town, Socheckotutrt, is 

 situated on the Qrenne, a feeder of the Vienne, 2J miles W. from, 

 Limoges, and has 4166 inhabitants, who manufacture glass-bottles, 

 bricks, tiles, and vinegar. On a rocky hill above the town are the 

 remains of an old feudal castle, one of the towers of which serves for 

 a prison. There are iron-works near Rochechouart St.-Jnie, is 

 built on the dope of a hill at the junction of the Ghne with the 

 Vienm 1 , on the right bank of the latter. It is surrounded by boule- 

 vard*, which are planted with trees and command a pleasant prospect 

 of the surrounding country. This town is one of thi busiest 



in the department The parish church and the chap--l of Xotn;-l> im 

 close to the bridge over the Vienna are the principal buildings. Tim 

 inhabitants, who number about 5500, manufacture gloves, blankets, 

 hats, woollen-cloths, serge, porcelain and common earthenware, 

 chamois and other leather, and paper. There are monthly fairs for 

 the sale of horses, mules, cattle, hides, corn, hemp, flax, aud wine. 



This department and the adjoining department of Creuae constitute 

 the diocese of Limoges, the bishop of which is a suffragan of the 

 hop of Bourges. It is in the jurisdiction of the High Court of 

 Liuiugr.', within the limits of the University-Academy of Poitiers, 

 and in the 2l*t Military Division, of which Limoges is head-quarters. 

 It returns 2 members to the Legislative Body of the French empire. 



VIKNNK. [UtRE.] 



VIKK/Otf. [CUBR.] 



VIKSTI. [CA 



VIK. [IsKRB.] 



VKIAN, LE. 



VIOEOIS. [CORRfcHK.] 



VIUKVANO. [NOVARA.J 



V!<;<>. GAI.M-IA, Spanish.] 



VIJI ISLANDS in the name of an extensive group of islands in 

 the Pacific Ocean, which on our maps are called Fidji, or Feedjeo 

 Islands. The group is little known, partly because it is situa- 

 of the common track of vessels and in a dangerous part of the ocean, 

 and partly on account of its great extent Tho Viji Islands lie 

 between 15 5' and 19 a lat., 177 and 182" E. long., and consist pro- 

 perly of three groups. The most eastern contains a great number of 

 sm /U islands, and one of considerable size, the island of Lakemba. 

 Farther to the west there is a more extensive group, containing several 

 inlands of moderate ze, and a large one, Viji-lovu, or Great Viji. 

 The third group lies to the north of the Viji-levu, and contains the 

 large island of Pau, or Tarkanava, with several smaller ones. Several 

 good harbours have been visited by Europeans ; tho best are at Rewa, 

 on the southern shores of Viji-levu, and at Libnka, on the island of 

 Ovalan, west of Viji levu. 



These islands seem to be of volcanic origin, though no active volcano 

 has been observed, aud they exhibit that irregularity of surface which 

 is peculiar to islands of that formation. Many of them rise to a con- 

 riderable elevation. The climate is hot, but not so constant as it 

 generally is between the tropics, because this group is situated on tho 

 southern limit of the trade-winds, where the changes in the tempera- 

 ture are frequent and sudden. In August and September tho ther- 

 mometer on board ship varied between 72 and 88. The domestic 

 animals arc pigs and dogs, and the wild animals are rats. There 

 j are few kinds of birds; the most common are parrots. Cocoa-nut 

 I palms, bread-fruit trees, bananas, yams, sugar-cane, sago, maizu, and 



