CRAMBORI). 



CHAMPLAIX. 



ill 



are many hospital*. Louses for refuge, and other charitable inati- 

 tatfona in the town. General da Boigne, a native of Chambery, 

 having made a large fortune in the service of the Kait India Company, 

 pent three million* and half of francs in founding two hospitals 

 and making improvement* in the town. A atraet has been named 

 aftrr him, and a monument was lately erected to hi* memory, 

 the exception of the principal street and a few aquare* which are 

 adorned with fountain*, the town i* irregularly built The principal 

 building* are the cathedral, four convents, three monasteries, and 

 thrr* barrack*. Than arc remains of the old castle of the Duke* 

 of Savoy at the entrance of the town by the Lyon road. The 

 churches of Chambe'ry have some good painting*. The population 

 of the town and suburbs is about 16,000, and in addition to this 

 thai* is usually a garrison of about 2000 men stationed in the town. 

 The old rampart* have been levelled and converted into public walks. 

 Among the industrial product* of ChamWry are silk-gauze, lace, 

 leather, aoap, hata, Ac. There is also some trade in liqueurs, wine, 

 metals, Ac. Many families of the nobility of Savoy reside in this 

 town. Amadeui V. wa* the first duke of Savoy who established his 

 reaidenco here. Chambe'ry give* title to an archbishop. It has pro- 

 duced many distinguished men ; among others, the Abbe' de St. Real, 

 Vaugelas, Albania Beaumont, known for his travels in the Alps ; the 

 painter* Berengier and Berger; and the two Counts de Maistre, 

 Xavier and Joseph, well known in contemporary literature. The 

 province of Chambery has an area of 634 square miles ; in 1848 the 

 population was 152,468. [SAVOY.] A railway ban been projected to run 

 from Chambe'ry to Turin, up the valley of the Arc as far as Modane, 

 and thence by a tunnel under Mont Cenis into the valley of the Dora. 

 Chambery has electro-telegraphic communication with Turin. 



CHAMBORD. [Lores ET-CHER.] 



CHAMOND, ST. [LOIRE.] 



CHAMOUNY, or CHAMONIX, an Alpine valley in Savoy, at the 

 foot of Mont Blanc. It run* north-east and aouth-west, being in 

 length about 13 miles, and about 2 miles in breadth : it is watered 

 by the Arve, which has its source in the Col de Balme, at the north- 

 east extremity of the valley. The Arve is joined in the middle of the 

 valley by the Arveron, which Ltsues out of the glacier of Montanvert 

 The valley is bounded to the east and south-east by the great chain 

 of the Pennine Alps, which divides this part of Savoy from the Val 

 d'Aoata in Piedmont, forming a succession of lofty peaks called 

 Aiguilles (Needles), covered with perpetual snow, and known by the 

 name* of Aiguilles de Tour, Argentiere, Verte, Dru, Aiguille du 

 Midi, and lastly Mont Blanc, which rears itself high above the rest, 

 at the south-cant extremity of the valley. The cleft* between these 

 different mountains are the receptacles of extensive glaciers, which 

 slope down to the very edge of the fields of the valley of Chamouny. 

 The principal one called La Mer de Glace spreads itself between two 

 parallel masses of the great chain, formed by the Gcant and lorasso 

 on one side, and the Dru, Montanvert, Charmoz, and Aiguille du 

 Midi on the other. The length of this icy sea i* about 6 miles, and its 

 greatest breadth about 2 miles. A branch of it elopes down through 

 an opening between the Dru and the Montanvert towards the valley 

 of Chamouny. On the west side the valley of Chamouny is bounded 

 by the Brevent, 8000 feet high, which is an offset of the group of 

 the Buet, the summit of which is covered with perpetual snow, and 

 which divide* the valley of the Arve from that of the Giffre. From 

 the Brevent there i* a magnificent view of the great chain opposite, 

 with all its peaks and glaciers, as well as of the group of the Buet 

 toward* the north, and of the other mountains of the interior of 

 Savoy. The view from the bottom of the valley itself is too confined 

 (the mountains rising abruptly like walls above it) to give a just idea of 

 the extent and height of that great mass of Alps. The Montauvert is 

 ascended on mules, and thus the sea of ice may be reached, but the 

 latter part of the excursion is not without some risk, on account of 

 the numerous crevice* in the ice, which are of unfathomable depth ; 

 stranger* who venture on the glaciers should trust implicitly to their 

 



The road from Geneva to Chamouny follow* the course of the Arve 

 by Bonneville, 8t-Mrtin, and Servot The approach to the valley of 

 Chamouny from 8t-Martin i* nearly as interesting as the valley itself. 

 The cascade and the little lake of Chede, and the scenery about Ser- 

 vo*, are remarkably fine. Travellers put up at Le Prieurc", which is 

 the principal village in the valley of Chamouny. 



Banidaa La Prieure', which derives its name from a former convent 

 of Benedictine*, founded here in 1099, the valley of Chamouny ha* 

 areoU other village* or hamlet*. The whole valley contain* about 

 8000 inhabitants, and is divided into four parishes. It produces some 

 barley and oat*, but the chief property of the inhabitants consist* in 

 cattle ; very good honey i* also got here. From 1000 to 2000 stran- 

 ger* visit this valley evrrr summer, and their expenditure forms an 

 important addition to the income of the native*. At Le Prieurc' are 

 collection* of minerals, crystals, amethyst*, topazea, and other fine 

 tones which are found in the mountain*. The village of Le Priuure' 

 is, according to Hauarara, 3346 feet above the tea, ao that the perpen- 

 dicular height of Mont Blanc above the level of the valley i* 12,386 

 feat Owing however to the vast buttreawa which Mont Blanc 

 throw* oat toward* the valley of Chamouny it* height doe* not strike 

 ao mnch on thin side a* on the Italian aide, toward* the narrow valley 



called Alice Blanche and Val d'Entrevea, where it rise* more abruptly 

 and in a single mass. 



The valley of Chamouny wa* not frequented by travellers till about 

 the middle of the last century, when Sausnure, Deluc, and Bourrit 

 made its beauties known, as well as its advantage*, as a station from 

 which to explore the group of Mont Blanc. In one respect the valley 

 of Chamouny is inferior to the other Alpine valleys of the Bernaae 

 Oberland and other part* of central Switzerland ; it ha* no waterfalls, 

 but there is a stillness in it* scenery which add* to it* imposing effect. 



CHAMPAGNE, one of the province* into which France waa 

 divided before the revolution of 1793, wa* bounded N. by Belgium, 

 E, by Lorraine, tile duchy of Bar, and Franche-Comte', S. by Bour- 

 gogne, and \V. by L'Isle-de-France. It wa* divided into 8 district* : 

 1. Champagne Proper, which contained the towns of Troyes, Chalons- 

 Bur-Mamc, Sainte-Menehould, Epernay, and Vertus; 2. Remois, in 

 which were Reims, Rocroy, Kisnies, and Chatoau-Porcien ; 3. Rethe- 

 lais, the chief towns of which were Rethel, Mczierea, Charleville, and 

 Donchery ; 4. Perthois, in which were Vitry-le-Francoi* and St-Dizier ; 

 5. Vallage, containing Joinville, Bar-sur-Aube, Arcis-ur-Aube, and 

 Vassy; 6. B ASSIGN T ; 7. Senonaia, comprising the towns of Sens, 

 Joigny, Tonnerre, and Chably ; 8. Brie-Champenoise, whioh contained 

 Meaux, Provins, Chateau-Thierry, Coulommiera, Moutereau-faut- 

 Yonne, and Bray-sur-Seine. The greatest length of the province wa* 

 about 180 miles, and the greatest breadth 150 miles. The surface 

 presents extensive plains with ranges of hills, particularly towards 

 the east and north. The soil and produce are of great variety. In 

 some parts, especially in the plains, the noil is light, resting on a chalk 

 bottom, ill fitted for tillage, but producing tolerably good pasture ; 

 in others it is deep and loamy, yielding excellent wheat, vegetables, 

 and fruiU of all kinds. Most of the hilU are planted with vine*, 

 which produce the famous Champagne wines. 



The greater part of Champagne is comprehended in the basin of 

 the Seine, by which, and by its tributaries, the Marne, the Aube, and 

 the Yonne, it is watered. To these rivers we may add the Aisne (a 

 feeder of the Oise), with its tributaries the Suippe and the Vele, the 

 Armancon, and the Serain, feeders of the Yonne ; and the Meuse, 

 which waters the north-eastern and northern part*. The Seine, Aube, 

 Marne, Aisne, Yonne, and Meuse are navigable. 



Champagne included two archbishoprics, Reims and Sens ; four 

 bishoprics, Langres, Chalons, Troyes, and Meaux, and a great number 

 of abbeys, the most celebrated of which was that of Clairvaux. It 

 now forms the departments of MAIINK, HAUTE-MABNE, AUBX, AR- 

 DENNES, and part of those of YONNK, AISNK, SEINE-ET-MABNK, MECSE, 

 COTE-D'OK, HAfTE-SAoNE, and VOSOES. 



In the time of Julius Cseaar the territory subsequently called 

 Champagne was inhabited chiefly by the Remi, the Senones, the 

 Lingoues, and the Tricasses, from whom the names of the cities 

 Reims, Sens, Langres, and Troyes are derived. It was one of the 

 parts of Gaul which remained longest in the possession of the Roman 

 emperors. After the Burgundiaus and Franks had crossed the Rhine 

 and acquired settlements in that country, and the south and west 

 parts had been occupied by the Visigoths, nay even after the Roman 

 empire itself had fallen, and the last emperor of Rome had been 

 deposed in the person of Augustulua (A.D. 476), ^Egidius and his son 

 Syagrius, who governed this part of Gaul in the name of the emperor 

 of the West, continued in possession of their authority and still 

 upheld the Roman name. However in 486 Syngrius was defeated by 

 Clovis and Ragnacarius, confederated princes of the Franks, and 

 Champagne became a portion of the extensive kingdom over which 

 Clovis reigned. After the death of Clovis (A.D. 511) it became part 

 of the kingdom of Australia, one of those into which the states 

 acquired and ruled by him were dismembered. It probably about 

 this time got the name of Campania (Champagne), which is met with 

 in the works of Gregory of Tours, who. wrote in the 6th century. 

 From the time of Charles the Simple to the year 1274 Champagne 

 was governed by counts and dukes, who, at first appointed by the 

 king, had contrived to render their power hereditary. On the death 

 of llenri III., count of Champagne and king of Navarre, in the last- 

 mentioned year, Champagne reverted to the crown of France in 

 consequence of the marriage of his daughter, Joan of Navarre, to 

 Philippe le Bel. The female nobility of Champagne enjoyed in the 

 middle ages the remarkable privilege of transmitting their rank to 

 their children, even if the husband were ignoble. ThU privilege, called 

 ' la noblesse de la ventre,' was granted by Charles le Chauve after the 

 battle of Fontenay (June 25, 841) in order to repair the loss of the 

 Champagne nobles, almost all of whom were slain on that day. 



(Beaugier, Ittmairei Hittorvjwt de la Province de Champagne ; 

 Beraut, Uatoire da Comic* de Champagne at de Brit, Paris, 1830; 

 Diclionnaire de la /Vance.) 



CHAMPAGNE. [AiN.] 



CHAMPLA1N, a lake of considerable extent, situated on the 

 northern boundary of, but almost entirely within, the United States 

 of North America. It derives it* name from Samuel de Champlain, 

 a French naval officer, who was governor-general of Canada in the 

 17th century. It divides, for more than 100 miles, the state of New 

 York from that of Vermont, and it* mo*t northern extremity belongs 

 to Lower Canada. It stretches in a direction very nearly from south 

 to ii'irth from 43 30' to 45 4', or through 109 mile*. The lake mny 



