1177 



YOXXE. 



TONNE. 



1178 



source: at Clamecy the timber is formed into trains or rafts, and 

 floated down to Auxerre. At Aaxerre the navigation commences, and 

 extends for about 64 miles, the greater part of it in this department 

 The Cure rises in the department of Nievre, and flows north north-west 

 into the department of Yonne, and by Vermanton into the river Yonne 

 on the right : its whole course is above 50 miles. The Voisin, which 

 joins the Care, and its feeder the Cousin, both rise in the department 

 of Cdte-d'Or, and flow north-west. The Serein rises in the department 

 of C6te-d'Or, and flows north-north-west into the department of Yonne, 

 where it* coarse bends more towards the west The Armancon rises 

 in the department of Cdte-d'Or, and flows north-north-west by Semur 

 into the department of Yonne, through which it flows north-west by 

 Nuits, Tonnerre, and Dannemoine ; then westward by St-Florentin 

 and Brie'non into the Yonne. Its whole course ia about 92 miles. 

 Both the Armancon and its feeders, including the Armance (which 

 flows into it from the department of Aube), are used for floating 

 timber, and vast quantities of firewood down to Paris. 



The Canal de Bourgogne, which connect* the Seine with the Rhone, 

 commences in the Yonne, and passes up the valley of the Armancon, 

 then up the valley of the Brenne, a feeder of the Armancon, and, 

 crowing the hills which separate the basin of the Seine from that of 

 the Rhone, follow* the valley of the Ouche till it terminates in the 

 Saone at St-Jean-de-Ixwne. The summit-level is at Pouilly in the 

 department of Cote-d'Or, so that all the part of the canal which is in 

 this department (of Yonne), officially stated at 91,638 metres (about 

 57 mil**), i* on the side of the descent from the summit-level to the 

 Tonne : this descent is of 311 metre* (about 1020 feet), and is effected 

 by 115 locks. Thi* canal was projected by Henri IV., but was not 

 commenced till 1775; and if finished (of which we have no certain 

 information) ha* been completed only within a very few years. The 

 department is traversed by the Canal de Bourgogne, which connects 

 the navigation of the Seine with that of the Rhone, commencing in 

 the Tonne at the mouth of the Armancon, and terminating in the 

 Saone at SL-Jean-de-Losne [Ore-D'OB] ; and by the Nivernais Canal, 

 which commence* in the Loin at Decize, in the department of N'iovre, 

 paaaea op the valley of the Aron, is carried by a tunnel under the 

 mountain of Coloocelle, and descend* from the summit-level to the 

 Tonne at Auxerre, thu* onsraxfting the navigation of the Loire with 

 that of th* Seine. Th* department U traversed by 6 imperial, 19 

 departmental, and a gnat number of communal or parish roads ; and 

 aUo by the 1'arw-Lyon railway, which pane* Sena, Joigny, and 

 Tonnem, and send* off a branch from Join ny to Auxerre. 



Th* area of the department comprehend* in round numbers about 

 1,800,000 acre*, of which about 1,150,000 sen* an under the plough. 

 Mon corn U produced than office* for tb* consumption of the inha- 

 bitant*. Th* produce in whett i* below the average of the French 

 department*; bat in other kind* of grain, oats, rye, maalin, and 

 specially in barley, the department far exceed* the average. Other 

 product* are hemp, chestnut*, truffle*, poise, end fruit*. Tb* gra- 

 laod* amount to nearly 80,000 acre*; the common* and other open 

 pa*ter** to 45,000 son*. Horned cattle, sheep, and horse* an kept, 

 but in DO gnat number*. Win* i* to* stapl* produce of the depart- 



re 90.0T 



no great numbers. 

 The vineyard* 



(.000 



yielding about 



19,000.000 gallon* of win* annually, of which two-thirds are exported. 

 The wioe* an known a* ' Lower Burgundy win**.' Some of them are 

 in high repute. The orchards and gardens occupy nearly 15,000 acre*, 

 and th* woodland* above 340,000 acre*. The exportation of timber 

 and firewood, aad the manufacture and exportation of charcoal, are 

 important branches of industry. Th* department baa tome important 

 iron-work* and gU**-hooM*. In the manufacture* of th* department 

 ar* omprisi'd al*o eoarx woollen*, blanket*, serges, casks, leather, 

 conserve of grip**, til**, pottery, Ac. 



Th* department U divided into five arrondusements, which, with 

 tb*tr subdivision* and population, are a* follows : 



Total 



11 



> 

 



n 



111 

 71 



101 

 

 II 



411 



Population In 1ISI. 



111.539 

 47.JJ4 



45,769 



Isl.lll 



1. Of the first arroodiisement, and of th* whole department, the 

 chief town i* AUXEKRK. >Vm<inf<m, on the right bank of the Cure, 

 ha* a population of 2616, who carry on a considerable trade in wood 

 and win*. The loose timber and firewood floated down from the 

 Morvan Hill* an collected at Vennantoo, and formed into train* or 

 raft*, which desosod by the Tonn* and th* Seine to Paris. Ckablit, 

 19 milqi E. from Auxtrre, on the left bank of the Serein, ha* a popu- 

 lation of about 2600, who trade in the excellent whit* win* produced 

 la the vineyards of the canton : then an seven fairs in the year. At 

 Xt. Flort*t\K, an ill laid oat but on the whole a hand'ome town, prettily 

 situated on the Canal-de-Bourgogne, at the junction of the Armance 

 and Ui Armancon, and on the Paru-Lyon railway, are several tan- 

 yard* ; trad* ia carried on in corn, hemp, firewood, and charcoal : 



there are seven yearly fairs. The town stands on a hill ; the fine lofty 

 gothic church, built in 1376, has some stained-glass windows of great 

 beauty, and some handsome sculptures. From the four principal 

 gates of the town the four leading streets run to a handsome ceutral 

 square, in the middle of which is a public fountain of gotbic design. 

 The Canal-de-Bourgogne ia carried over the Armance, near the town, 

 by a beautiful aqueduct bridge. The town is on an ancient site. A 

 strong castle which stood on the site now partly occupied by the 

 parish church, is connected with the history of Queen Brunehaut, 

 who took refuge here in A.D. 597 from the pursuit of her grandson, 

 Theodebert II., king of Austrasia. Pepin demolished the fortress as 

 soon as he mounted the throne in 752. The Normans were defeated 

 near St-Florentin in 888 by Richard, duke of Bourgogne. The town 

 capitulated to the Count of Champagne in 936. On the banks of the 

 Cure, near the south-eastern border of this ammdissement, are the 

 extensive grottoes of Alter. 



2. In the second arroudissement the chief town, Avallon, on the 

 right bank of the Cousin, a feeder of the Aire, has a college and 5740 

 inhabitants in the commune. The town is regularly built, with clean 

 wide streets, and has some handsome public buildings. Coarse woollen- 

 stuffs, woollen-yarn, staves, paper, and casks are the chief industrial 

 products. Vfztlay, an old and ill-built town, anciently fortified, 

 stands on a hill not far from the left bank of the Cure, and is sur- 

 rounded by vineyards. The church of Vezelay, which is classed among 

 the historical monuments of France, and has been recently restored, 

 consists of two parts : the first part, into which the three outer doors 

 open, is 80 feet long, and is called the Catechumen's church ; the 

 second part, with which the first part communicates by three other 

 doors, is called the Great church, and is 213 feet long. The choir of 

 the church is very fine ; the lofty roof, 75 feet high, is supported by 

 1 beautiful columns. The nave and choir are surrounded by aisles. 

 The three portals of the facade are adorned with sculptures ; those 

 over the central door represent the apostles. Vc5zelay is rich in histo- 

 rical recollections. At a council held here in 1145 the second crusade 

 was preached by St. Bernard, and Louis VII. of France and many of 

 his noble* took the cross. In the third crusade, Philippe Auguste of 

 France, and Richard Coour-de-Lion of England, united their forces at 

 Vjselay, to the number of 100,000 warriors. It is now a small place 

 with about 1200 inhabitants. 



3. In the third arrondissement the chief town, Joigny, stands on the 

 Paris- Lyon railway, and is built on the slope of a hill above the right 

 bank of the Yonne, over which there is a handsome stone bridge. 

 Along the river on each side of the bridge extends a broad and ele- 

 vated quay, fronting which is a handsome cavalry barrack. The town 

 i* surrounded by an ancient wall, and is entered by six gates ; the 

 street* an very steep, narrow, and winding, and are lined for the 

 most part with wretched houses, among which are mingled a few 

 of better construction. In the upper part of the town ia a fine 

 chateau, the windows and terraces of which command a beautiful 

 prospect. Near it is the church, the fine vaulted roof of which, 

 although mutilated, is worthy of notice. The town has two hospitals, 

 a college, a theatre, and 6056 inhabitants, who trade in oak-bark, wood, 

 charcoal, casks, hoops, wine, brandy, and vinegar ; there are brandy- 

 distilleries, tan-yards, and tile-yards ; whiting is made. St.-Julien, a 

 mall place on the left bank of the Yonne, 10 miles by railway from 

 Joigny, gives name to a favourite French wine. VHItneuvcle-Roy, or 



\'Menece-ir- Yonne, on the right bank of the Youne (over which 

 there is an old stone bridge), is the first railway station between Sena 

 and Joigny : population about 4500. The principal street of the 

 town is straight and handsome, with a gate and an avenue of treei at 

 each end ; the church is near the centre of the mum street, and has an 

 elegant front, with a handsome door on each side. Coarse woollen- 

 cloth and leather, and conserve of grapes are the chief industrial pro- 

 ducts ; trade is carried on in wine, wood, and charcoal, liritnon, or 

 Britnon-t' Archcrf'iut, is a well laid out, well-built, handsome town, 

 situated on the Canal-de-Bourgogne, and the right bank of the Arman- 

 con population, 2650. The manufactures are woollen-yarn, coarse 

 woollen-cloths, and leather. There is also considerable trade in fire- 

 wood (which is floated down to Paris), charcoal, corn, ami linen. St.- 

 Faryeau, prettily situated on the Loiug, is an ancient town with about 

 2400 inhabitants, who manufacture leather, iron, glass, and earthen- 

 ware ; they also trade in firewood to Paris. The territory and castle 

 of St. Fargeau pasted by purchase from the house of Moutferr.it to 

 Jacque Coour, on whose spoliation it was sold by Charles VII. to 

 Antoine de Chabannes. They came by marriage into the house of 

 Anjou, and afterwards into that of the Bourbons. Mademoiselle de 

 Hontpensier, who built the beautiful chateau still standing, left the 

 estatei to her husband, the Duke of Lanzun, who sold them soon after 

 her death to an ancestor of the present possessor, the Marquis de 

 Boisgelin. 



4. In the fourth arrondissement the chief town is SENS. Pont-tur- 

 Tonne, a station on the railway to Paris, 7 miles from Sens, is on the 

 left bank of the Yonne, over which there U a handsome bridge. The 

 population, which numbers about 2000, manufactures tiles, leather, 

 and coarse woollen-cloth, and carries on trade in the wine of the 

 district, corn, and cattle. VMeneuve-lorGuyard, in the north-west of 

 the department on the left bank of the Yonne, 11 miles by railway from 

 Sens, on the road to Montcrcau and Paris, has a population of about 



