f-i AUDE. 



from all winds except the south-east, and has a good tenacious clay 

 bottom. Port Ross contains an upper Inlet called Laurie Harbour, 

 bout four miles wide, and perfectly landlocked ; while the steep beach 

 on tiie southern side of the harbour affords great facility for clearing 

 and reloading issls 



The climate has been described by Sir James Ross, Captain Briscoe, 

 and other navigators who have visited the islands, as mild, temperate, 

 and salubrious. The temperature in the valleys is scarcely ever 

 lower in winter than 38", or higher hi summer than 78. The 

 weather is generally good, but there are occasional high winds and 

 heavy rains. Auckland Island is abundantly supplied with small 

 streams. The soil is very productive. The hills, except a few of 

 the highest, are thickly covered with large trees. The elevated 

 ground is covered with moss and a kind of tall grass. Dr. Hooker 

 notices the Auckland Islands as remarkable for the variety of their 

 vegetable productions, eighty flowering plants having been found ; and 

 no less than fifty-six of them, till then unknown, have been noticed for 

 their beauty and novelty. The only animals found on the islands are 

 goats and rabbits. Pigs were left on Auckland Island in 1807 by 

 Captain Briscoe, on his second visit, and these animals have greatly 

 increased in number. In the woods three or four species of small 

 singing-birds were found. On the heights petrels breed in con- 

 siderable numbers. Hawks, gray ducks, snipes, cormorants, and the 

 common shag also inhabit the islands. Fish ore plentiful on the 

 eastern coast of Auckland Island, and the rocks are covered with 

 limpets ; while the whale-fishing carried on in the neighbouring seas 

 may yet become very valuable. Sir James Ross mentions that 

 while he was in Laurie Harbour many sperm-whales came into the 

 anchorage. 



The Auckland Islands were granted by government to the Messrs. 

 Enderby on advantageous terms, in consideration of the services ren- 

 dered by their father to this country, as also for the more recent 

 discoveries of the southern continent by Captain Briscoe whilst in the 

 employ of the Messrs. Enderby. A company to which the Messrs. 

 Enderby ceded their privileges, obtained a charter of incorporation on 

 the 16th of January 1849, for the purpose of prosecuting the whale 

 fishery from the Auckland Islands ; and Laurie Harbour was chosen 

 as the head station of the company, from the superior facilities it 

 affords to whaling vessels. The islands were uninhabited until the 

 Southern Whale Fishery Company, under the conduct of one of the 

 Messrs. Enderby, made a settlement there in 1849. 

 AUDE, RIVER. [ArDK, Department of.] 



AUDE, a department in the south of France, is bounded E. by the 

 Mediterranean, N.E. by the department of He'rault, N. by that of 

 Tarn. N.W. by that of Haute-Oaronne, W. by that of Ariege, and S. 

 by that of Pyrenees-Orientales. The department extends between 

 42 38' and 48* 29' N. lat, and between 1 41' and 3 13' E. long. : 

 its greatest length from east to west is 79 miles, from north to south 

 62 miles. The area is 24367 square miles : the population in 1851 

 was 289,747, which gives an average of 11 8-9 to the square mile, being 

 6S'81 below the average per square mile for all France. 



Bnrfact, The department, which in formed out of a port of Lower 

 Languedoc, is mountainous. The southern continuation of the 

 Cevennes, which takes the name of Montagne-Noire, crosses the 

 department in the north, and gradually slopes down to the valley of 

 the Aude. A branch of the Pyrenees which springs from the main 

 chain near Mont- Louis in the department of Pyrone'es-Oriontales runs 

 northward, and entering the department of Aude traverses it from 

 oulh to north-west, separating the affluents of the Aude from those 

 of the Ariege. Another projection from the Pyrenees, called collect- 

 ively the Corbicres Mountains, runs along the right bank of the A ii.le, 

 and breaking off into several branches covers a large portion <( 1 1,. 

 south and south-east of the department A plain into which the 

 mountain masses above named gradually subside, crosses the depart- 

 ment from east to west : its eastern part coincides with the valley of 

 the lower Aude as far as Carcassono ; and the great Languedoc Canal, 

 or Canal-du-Midi, runs along its whole length, and has its main 

 reservoir and summit-level at Naurouze in the arrondissemeut of 

 Castelnaudary. From Carcassone the valley of the Aude runs directly 

 south, and this part of it is the best sheltered and most fertile hind 

 in the department The other valleys of the department also generally 

 run north and south, and are highly productive. The department is 

 oosxtod on the east by the Mediterranean f..r n)*iut 28 miles ; in this 

 pace there are several shore-lakes (shallow salt logunen), the largest 

 of which are those of Leucate, Higean, and Bages, lying between the 

 M and the naked rocky hills that form the eastern oflshoote of the 

 Corbieres Mountain*. 



Climate a*d Product*. The climate is generally healthy, though 

 Md, cxeept along the Mediterranean, where it is much wanner than 

 i the wnt Impetuous westerly winds prevail during eight months 

 *, and winds from the east and south-east during the four 

 "fMwnths.Theie last are just felt at Narbonne, but gathering 

 *' <J proceed inland, by tin- time they reach Carcassone and 

 ""T thy blow with stich violence as sometimes to unroof 

 an.1 toar np trees by the root* The effect of the prera- 

 westerly winds is seen in the inclination of the trees, 

 rhieb, cept in sheltered spoU, lean towards the east or 



AUDE. vn 



The department contains 1,559,506 acres, divided into 943,776 

 parcels. There are 675,000 acres under tillage, 124,000 acres of vine- 

 yards, 160,000 acres of forest-laud, 27,328 acres of natural pasture, 

 and 453,000 acres of barren land and heaths. Wheat, maize, 1 

 and millet are the chief gram crops in the valleys; buckwheat, 

 barley, oats, and rye, on the high grounds. The annual produce of 

 wheat (which is of the finest quality) is set down at 318,500 quarters, 

 about one half of which is exported ; of oats 181,500 quarters ; of 

 maize 85,250 quarters ; of other grams 108,590 quarters ; and of 

 potatoes 187,500 quarters. The wines of the deportment are of good 

 quality, especially the white and red wines of Limoux, the red wines 

 of the neighbourhood of Narbonne, and the white wines of Bages. 

 The annual produce is stated at 17,618,740 gallons, one-third of which 

 is consumed in the department, one-tenth is distilled, and the remain- 

 der is exported. 



Of fruit-trees the chestnut and walnut are extensively cultivated 

 in the highlands of the department ; the almond flourishes on the 

 light soils ; the culture of the olive is not so much attended to as 

 formerly, but there are still some flourishing plantations in the arron- 

 dissement of Narbonne. The trees of forest growth are chiefly the 

 oak, the ash, the beech, and the evergreens. The slopes of the 

 Montagne-Noire are covered generally with good natural pasture; 

 and a large quantity of hay is raised along many of tli.- ri\ ,-r bottoms 

 by a system of water-meadowing, which is well understood. The 

 horses of the department ore small ; in harvest time they are used 

 in treading out the corn ; asses are numerous. Oxen and cows are 

 used in ploughing ; very few calves are reared, the supply of young 

 cattle being obtained from the departments of Torn and Ariege. 

 The sheep of the department are of inferior breed, and then- wool is 

 coarse. Poultry of all kinds, but more particularly geese, are 

 abundant, and are exported to the neighbouring departments and 

 to Spain. Great attention is paid to the rearing of bees, and a 

 large quantity of honey is gathered, which is highly esteemed, 

 especially that of the neighbourhood of Narbonne. Abui; 

 of excellent fish is supplied from the shore-lakes and the M< 

 ran eon. 



Mines of cool, plastic clay, and gypsum are profitably worked; 

 limestone, good building stone, and slate are found. The Corbicres 

 Mountains contain coal, antimony, manganese, copper, lead, and 

 silver; and in the valley of the Boulzanne, a feeder of the Gly, on 

 their eastern slope, there are several important iron-works. There 

 are several mineral and salt springs. Marble of great beauty is found 

 associated with slate among the transition limestone in the quarries 

 of Cannes, a village on the Argent-Double, to the north-east of Carcas- 

 sone, near the boundary of Hermit. These ijnarries furnish four 

 different sorts of marble, which are much used in the ehuivhen of the 

 south of France, and even hi some of the architectural monument* 

 of Paris. The chief manufacture of the department is fine broad- 

 cloth, for making which wool is imported from Spain : leather, 

 hats, hosiery, paper, and pottery are made. There are numerous 

 distilleries, flour-mills, saw-mills, furnaces and iron-foundries. The 

 exports of the department consist of soda, wine, brandy, spirits, honey, 

 verdigris, tanned hides, iron, broadcloth, and salt About 90,000 tons 

 of salt are annually made in the salt-pans in the neighbourhood of 

 Bages and Sigean, &c. The surplus corn of the department is sent 

 chiefly to Marseille, and some of it by the Canal-du-Midi, but the 

 greater part is shipped for Marseille or Toulon direct from the port 

 of Nouvelle. 



Hydrography and Communiratiotu. The chief river of the depart 

 merit is the Aude (Atax), which springs from the small lake of Aude 

 near Mont-Louis, in the department of Pyrfne'es Orientates, w : 

 running northward, and entering the department of Aude, it passes 

 Quillan, Limoux, and Carcassone ; at this lost town turning ea 

 it passes Trcbes, about 24 miles below which it sends off a bnn 

 the south-east, called the Robine, while the main stream, pursuing its 

 eastward course, falls into the Mediterranean near the shore-lake of 

 Vendres. The Robine has been rendered na-. I forms port 



of the canal from the Canal-du-Midi through Narbonne to the port 

 of Nouvelle, where the Robine enters the M<lit..rninean. The 

 whole length of the Aude is about 140 miles, of which 123 miles 

 are in the department of Aude : about 100 miles of its length, from 

 Quillan to its mouth, arc available for purposes of floatage. The 

 feeders of the Aude are about 30 in number ; the most important 

 of these are the Orbicu on the right, the Rebenti, the Fresquel, the 

 Clamouse, and the Cesse on the left. The south-eastern angle of the 

 iiient is watered by the Bore, which falls into the shore-lake of 



Si.'- .11 



The department is traversed by 5 royal roads, the most important 

 of which are the great rood from Paris to Pcrpignan, and that 

 from Montpellier to Toulouse; and by 21 departmental 

 making together a length of roadway communication amounting 

 to 442 miles. The great railway authorised to be made 

 Bordeaux to Cette, through Toulouse, traverses this department, in 

 it passes the towns of Castelnaudary, Carcassone, and 

 Narbonne. 



Dintioni and Tomu. The department is divided into 4 arron- 

 dissemcnU, which, with their subdivisions and population, are as 

 follows : 



