241 



ALPES, HAUTES. 



ALPS. 



242 



32 miles S. W. by W. from Gap, population, 876 ; Serrea, a pretty 

 market>town, partly on the elope and partly at the foot of a hill, 

 20 miles S.W. by W. from Gap, population, 1088, who rear mulberry- 

 trees and manufacture table-linen, hats, and leather ; Tallard, 6 miles 

 S. from Gap, on the right bank of the Durance, with a population of 

 1181, and the ruins of a castle built in the 10th century, dismantled 

 by the Savoyard army in 1692; and Veynes, prettily situated among 

 meadows, gardens, and orchards, 12 miles W. by S. from Gap, on the 

 right bank of the Little Buech, population, 1859 give name to the other 

 cantons. Not far from Veynes and near the village of Mont-Salmon are 

 the ruins of the ancient town of Mons-Seleucus. At Orpierre there is 

 a Protestant consistorial church. 



The second arrondissement is named from its chief town, Brianfon, 

 one of the strongest fortresses in the world, situated at the junction of 

 1lie Guisane and the Clare'e with the Durance, 36 miles N.E. from Gap. 

 [BBIANCON.] Aiguilles, on the Guil, 13 miles S.E. from Briancon, near 

 the frontier, and midway between Monte-Viso and Mont-Genevre, has 

 993 inhabitants, who export a considerable quantity of cheese. At 

 Arvieux, a large village of 1016 inhabitants, near Aiguilles, there is a 

 Protestant consistorial church. L Argentine, near the little river 

 Gironde, a feeder of the Durance, 9 miles S.S.W, from Brianson, has 

 argentiferous lead-mines, slate-quarries, tan-yards, and 1233 inhabitants. 

 La-Grave-en-Oysans, 19 miles W.N.W. from Briancjon, on the road 

 to Grenoble, is a village of 1819 inhabitants, built on a shelf of 

 rock separated from the neighbouring mountains by a ravine, 

 traversed by the Romance, and presenting several fine cascades. Near 

 La-Grave are large glaciers, and the Col-de-Lauteret, one of the most 

 beautiful passes of the Alps, leading from La-Grave to the valley of 

 Monestier. The heights about the Col are covered with the richest 

 Alpine pastures; at the foot of the pass is the Hospice-de-la-Madeleine, 

 which affords an asylum to travellers. Lt-Mmestier, a well-built little 

 town situated in the beautiful valley of the Guisane, 8 miles N.W. from 

 Brian<;on, has hot sulphurous springs and 2797 inhabitants, who 

 manufacture cloth, cotton-yarn, and nails. 



The third arrondissement is named from its chief town Embrun, the 

 seat of a tribunal of first instance, a communal college, and a junior 

 ecclesiastical school ; situated on the right bank of the Durance, 

 20 miles E. from Gap, on a platform rising out of a wide plain : popu- 

 lation 4373. The town occupies the site of the ancient Ebrodimum, 

 capital of the Caturiges, and an important post under the Romans. 

 It gave title to an archbishop from a very early period. Its first prelate 

 was St. Marcellinus, who died in A.D. 372. The archbishops of Embrun 

 in course of time were styled princes, and had the right of coining 

 money. The province was suppressed in 1790. Seven councils were 

 held in Embrun. The town was sacked by the Vandals and Huns on 

 the downfall of the Roman Empire ; it was burnt in 966 by the Moors, 

 again in 1573 during the religious wars, and in 1692 by the Duke 

 of Savoy. It is defended by ramparts strengthened by bastions, and 

 surrounded by a deep wet ditch. On the side of the Durance it 

 presents a steep inaccessible rock. The town has an imposing appear- 

 ance at a distance, but within are only irregular, dirty, narrow, and 

 gloomy streets. The square of St. -Pierre is pretty ; and the street 

 traversed by the diligence road has a good width, but no regularity. 

 The rock above the Durance is formed into an esplanade, which is 

 planted with trees and protected by a parapet ; this forms a fine prome- 

 nade, commanding extensive and varied prospects. The principal 

 building is the cathedral, a handsome gothic structure, surmounted 

 by a high tower and spire, and decorated with a beautiful rose window, 

 containing portraits of the twelve apostles. Near the cathedral is the 

 former episcopal palace, corresponding in splendour of architecture 

 with the cathedral, and now used as a barrack. At a little distance is 

 the Tour-Brune, an ancient tower, which long served as a prison. The 

 former Jesuit college has been converted into a central house of deten- 

 tion. Broad cloth, counterpanes, hats, cotton-yarn, and leather are the 

 chief industrial products. There is some trade also in fruits, wine, 

 hides, and cattle. The arrondissement of Embrun consists of the 

 former district of Embrunois, a division of Upper Dauphine*. Charges, 

 built on part of the site of an ancient Roman town, 11 miles W. from 

 Embnm, has 1891 inhabitants, who manufacture cloth, canvass, vinegar, 

 and oil. Of the ancient town there remains a temple of Diana which 

 has long been converted into a parish church. Chorges is supposed to 

 be a corruption of Caturiges, the name of the Gallic tribe in whose 

 territory it stands. (fuilUitrt, formerly a fortified town, now a village 

 situated in the valley of the Guil, 10 miles N.E. from Embrun: 

 population, 1759 gives name to a canton. Mont-Dauphinitt a fortress 

 situated 10 miles E.N.E. from Embrun on a high rock between the 

 Guil and the Durance, of which it commands the valleys. It is defended 

 by walls which run along the crest of the cliffs that line the banks of 

 the two rivers, and by bastions towards the mountains. The town 

 consists of two streets which cross each other at right angles. The 

 fortifications inclose squares, gardens, esplanades planted with elms, 

 and some unoccupied ground. The barracks and casemates are spacious. 

 The population of the place is only 350. There are four mineral 

 springs near Mont-Dauphin. (Jrnlra, 12 miles N.N.W. from Embrun 

 on the Drac, has a population of 1477, wno trade in wool, butter, and 

 cheese. Satinet, 6 miles W.S.W. from Embrun near the right bank 

 "(' tint Durance, has a population of 1155. 



The department forms the see of the bishop of Gap. It is included 



GEOO. mv. VOL. i. 



in the 7th Military Division, of which Marseille is head-quarters. 

 Under the Monarchy, Hautes-Alpes returned two members to the 

 Chamber of Deputies. 



ALPHEIUS, one of the chief rivers of Peloponnesus (Morea), rises 

 in the south-east of Arcadia, and flows westward through Arcadia and 

 Elis to the Ionian Sea, receiving in its course the rivers Helisson, Ladou, 

 Erymanthus, Cladeus, &c., and numerous smaller streams. It is now 

 called Rofia, up to its junction with the Ladon ; and above that, the 

 River of Karitena. It drains a large mountain-district, bounded N. 

 by Mount Erymanthus, E. by the central ridge of Arcadia, and S. by 

 the mountains of Laconia and Messenia. According to Pausanias, the 

 source of theAlpheius is at Phylace (Krya Vrysi), near the foot of Mount 

 Parthenius, at the south-east corner of Arcadia, where the boundaries 

 of Arcadia, Argolis, and Laconia meet. Near a place called Symbola 

 (the ' Meeting of the Waters'), it is joined by a considerable stream, 

 and entering the territory of Tegea, sinks underground ; it rises again 

 5 stadia from Asea, close to the fountain of the Eurotas. The two 

 rivers then, after flowing in a common channel for about 20 stadia, 

 again sink underground, and re-appear the Eurotas in Laconia, the 

 Alpheius at Peg* (the Springs), in the territory of Megalopolis, in 

 Arcadia. Strabo adds a fable, that if garlands consecrated to these 

 rivers were thrown into the stream at Asea, each would re-appear at 

 the source of that particular stream for which it was designed. The 

 statement of Pausanias is confirmed, and the course of the upper stream 

 (now the Saranda) traced by Colonel Leake to the spot where it enters 

 the earth, below Tegea. He confirms the statement of its rise (or 

 at least the rise of some subterranean stream) at Francovrysi, near 

 Asea. Here there are two sources or emissaries, one of which he 

 supposes to be the vent of the lake or marsh called Taki, not far from 

 Tegea, N.E. of Francovrysi ; the other that of the Saranda. One of 

 these probably is the supposed source of the Eurotas, mentioned by 

 Pausanias. These streams, after joining, enter a lake, and again sink 

 into the earth. Passing under a mountain called Tzimbanu, the 

 Alpheius re-appears at Marmora, probably the Pegae of Pausanias. 



Below Pegse the river is joined by the Helisson (now the Davia), on 

 which Megalopolis was situated, 30 stadia from the confluence. Below 

 this, and near the town of Brenthe, now Karitena, the Alpheius 

 descends through a mountain ravine called the Pass of Lavdha. This 

 pass separates the upper and lower plains of the Alpheius ; in the 

 former of which the chief city was Megalopolis, in the latter Hersea. 

 Below Henca the Alpheius is joined by the Ladon, celebrated in fable 

 as the father of Daphne. At the distance of about 20 stadia lower 

 down the Alpheius receives the Erymanthus, which rises in the moun- 

 tain of Erymanthus, and forms for some distance the boundary between 

 Arcadia and Elis. After entering Elis the river runs through the 

 plains of Pisa, past Olympia, and falls into the Cyparissian Gulf. At 

 the mouth of the river was the temple of Diana Alpheiusa, or Alpheia. 

 " From the Straights of Lavdha to the sea there is a narrow level on 

 either bank, inundated in winter and planted with maize in summer : 

 the river is wide and shallow, and its banks produce a great number 

 of large plane-trees." (Leake, vol. ii., p. 67.) 



The AlphehiK is celebrated in mythology. Ovid tells how the river- 

 god, being enamoured of the nymph Arethusa, whom he saw bathing 

 in his waters, sought her love. She fled, and he pursued ; till being 

 exhausted, she prayed for help to her patron goddess, Diana, who 

 transformed her into a fountain. But Alpheius still sought to mingle 

 his stream with hers ; and Diana was forced to open an underground 

 passage for her favourite to the island of Ortygia, a part of Syracuse. 

 The persevering river was fabled to pursue the object of his love even 

 to this distant point, passing under the sea, without mingling his waters 

 with it. Hercules is said to have cleared the stables of Augeas by 

 turning a part of the Alpheius through them. Frequent mention of 

 this river is made by Pindar. 



(Pausanias ; Strabo ; Ovid, Met., v. 572 ; Leake, Travels in the Morea; 

 Pelopannesiaca.) 



ALPS, the greatest mountain-system in Europe, extends in an 

 unbroken range round the north-west of Italy, from the Mediterranean 

 to the eastern side of the Adriatic. The name is generally supposed to 

 be derived from the Celtic word Alb, or Alp, signifying 'white,' or 

 according to some ' a height.' 



The Alps are connected with the chain of mountains that runs 

 through the Italian peninsula ; the point of their junction with the 

 Apennines being Monte-Cassino, which lies a little east of the Col-de- 

 Tende, and contains the sources of the Roya and the Tanaro. Here 

 all at once the mountains assume a different aspect, starting up to 

 greater heights, becoming more massive, broader, and more unbroken 

 than the Apennines, and casting off the rivers at right angles to the 

 axis of the range ; whereas in the adjoining Apennines the rivers flow, 

 in many instances, nearly parallel to the direction of the range. From 

 this point the Alps run for a few miles towards the west, and then 

 take a north-westerly course as far as the source of the Stura, one of 

 the affluents of the Po. From this last point the main crest runs north 

 in an irregular line to about 45 45' N. lat., separating the upper part 

 of the basin of the Po from that of the Rhone, and France and Savoy 

 from Piedmont. Near the lat. of 45" 50' stands the highest elevation 

 of the Alps, Mont- Blanc ; here also a change takes place in the general 

 direction of the main range from north to east-north-east, which in 

 fact is continued as far as the Danube. 



