﻿LOIRE, HAUTE. 



LOIBE, HAUTE. 



quality ii produoed, lUodi 18 BaOes S. Iroiii SL-BtieniUL and bu 

 S539 inbiibituU, Le-CkamUm, S mUai fh>in St-fitienna, ia (ituatod 

 OD the DoDdaino-Vaobery, and baa 4028 inbabitanta, wbo manufaotura 

 ribasda, iron- and ataal-ware, tablo cutlery, pooket-kiUTea, fto. St.- 

 Ciamemd, baautiAiUy aitaatad at the confluence of tbe Oier and the 

 Jaaon, 74 milea N.E. from SL-£tienne, and near tbe Lyon-St-£tienne 

 raSway, ia a buay manufacturing town, containing a consultative 

 obamber of manofactuiea, a council of prud'bommes, and 8204 

 inbabitanta. The town ii well built, and preaenta a great number of 

 elegant hooaea inoloaed in gardena. The church of St.-Chamond, the 

 pnbUc hatha, and promenadea are the most remarkable objeota in the 

 town. There are eztensiTe coal-mines, iron-foi^ges, and ameltiiig- 

 fumaota in the enrirona. Tbe town contains a great number of silk- 

 mills, and baa important manufactures of ribands, stay-laces, nails for 

 the nary, hardware, &c. Piliutin, situated at the foot of Hont Pilat, 

 at a short distance bom tbe Rh6ne, and in a fertile wine district, has 

 S511 inhabitants. The preparation of raw silk fur manufactures, and 

 the working of the porphyry quarries of the neighbourhood, afford 

 employment to a considerable part of the population. Jiive-de-Qier, 

 13 mUea N.E. from St-£tienne, on tbe Lyon-St.-£tienne railroad, 

 previous to 1815 bad under 4000 inhabitants ; it now has a population 

 of above 12,000. It is built on tbe Oier, here crossed by several 

 bridges, and rendered navigable by the Canal-de-Oivors, which runs 

 from this town to Qivors on the Rbdne. Tbe town owes its prosperity 

 to the coal-mines, ezceediqg 40 in number, which are wotked in the 

 neighbourhood. The basin of the canal is lined with quays, backed 

 by vast coal stores. The reservoir of the Canal-de-Oivors, a little 

 south of tbe town, is formed by massive mnson-work, and is a line 

 work of its kind. Besides its great trade iu coal, with which Lyon 

 and several other towns are supplied, Rive-de-Oier has above 40 glass- 

 works, steam-engine-factories, iron-foundries and forges, steel-woriu, 

 silk-mills, riband-factories, tus. At Terre-A'oire, a station on the railway 

 from St,-£tienne to Lyon, there are important iron-fumacea and 

 foundries. 



The department forms with that of Rhdne the see of the arch- 

 bishop of Lyon and Vienne ; it it comprised in the jurisdiction of 

 the High Court and University Academy of Lyon, and is included in 

 the 8th Military Division, of which Lyon ia bead-quarters. It returns 

 three members to the Legislative Body of the French empire. 



{Dictionnairt de la France ; Annuaire pour FAn 1849 ; SlatieUque 

 dt la France ; Official Papers.) 



LOIRE, HAUTE, a department in Frtuice, takes its name from its 

 situation in the upper port of the basin of the Loire, and is bounded 

 N. by tbe departments of Puy-de-D6me and Loire, E. by Ard6che, 

 S. by Loz^re, and W. by Cantal. Its greatest length from east to 

 west is 69 miles, from north to south 46 miles; it extends from 

 44" 44' to 46° 25' N. Ut, and from 3" 4' to 4° 26' E. long. The area 

 is 1916 square miles ; the population in 1841 was 298,137, in 1851 it 

 was 804,615 ; which last gives 158-98 to the square mile, being 15-6 

 below the average per square mile for all France. 



The department oomprisea the old district of Velay with portions 

 of the Q^vaudan, Forez, and Auveig;ne, Tbe surface is mountainous. 

 The Cantal Mountains, and the Margeride Chain, which tmites them 

 to the C<Svennes, cover with their offiihoots so much of the south-west 

 and south of (he department as lies on the left bank of the Allier : the 

 aouth-eaatem and eaatem districts are occupied with the mass of 

 the C^vennea, from which a secondary chain, running through the 

 interior nearly north and south, forms the watershed between tbe 

 Allier and the Loire, and is joined, near CUaise-Dieii, by another 

 range Uiat runs north-west from Mont Mezsn, the culminating |>oint 

 of tha C^vennaa [CfeTXKNia; ARDicHc] "The country, thus sur- 

 rounded and traveraed by mountains, is furrowed by numerous rivers, 

 brooks, and torrents, which flow with rapid descent, either between 

 steep banks that expoae to view the volcanic formation of the counby, 

 or through pictureaque and fertile valleys whereof the soil consists of 

 decomposed lava and other volcanic deposits. On the mountains, 

 which preaent numerous conical peaks and craters, aud have their 

 summita covered with snow, during five or six months in tbe year, 

 there are large foreata and extensive pastures, where great numbers of 

 cattle and mules, the chief wealth of the countnr, an reared. The 

 lower slopes are covered with chestnut woods and vineyards. In the 

 north-west and north-cast of the department there are some extensive 

 plaina of considerable fertility, all covered with a aoil of deoompoaed 

 volcanic matter. 



Tha prfocipal rivers are the Alukb, which diuna the west of the 

 dapuiment; and the LoinE, which, swelled by the Gazeille, tbe 

 Lignoo, and tlie Sommc, from the right bank, by the Borne, the 

 Araon, and the Ance, from the left, drains the central and eastern 

 diatricta. The department is traversed by 6 state and 12 depart- 

 mental roads. 



Tbe agricultural produce of the department suffloea the consumption. 

 The usual crops ore wheat, rye, barley, oats, mixed grain, beans, Ac. ; 

 fruits are abundant Of wine only 1,264,000 gallons are produoed, 

 and this is of inferior quality. Mules are reared in great numbers ; 

 homed cattle and pigs are fatted. Among the wild animala are 

 boars, wolves, foxea, wild oita, badgern, &c 



The geolo^oal structure and mineral wealth of the department are 

 of great variety, though the latter ii not turned to much advantage. 



Tha mountain range which runs north-west from Mont Messn 

 consista of trachytio rocka, and ia reckoned among the most ancient of 

 the volcanic atructures of central Frauoe. Hont Mezen itaelf tha 

 culminating part of the C^vennea ia a vast mass of volcanic aeoumola- 

 tion, above 5000 feet high. [CfcTiirirBa.] The district of tbe Vilof, 

 which lies south and aouth-wot of thia range, and comprises nearly w 

 tbe south of the department, is occupied with basaltic rocka and lava 

 beds, the great antiquity of which is proved by their being covered 

 with a sou formed by the decomposition of their surfaoe. Along tha 

 banks of tbe rivers in this district, the basaltic columns laid bare to 

 view aaaume a variety of beautiful forms; and the charred fragmenta 

 of ancient eruptions, whiuh were long subsequently rolled and worn 

 in watercourses that have disappeared for ever, are seen in other places 

 deposited in beds of clay aud marl, piled up alternately one upon tbe 

 other. Among the primitive rocks are found granite, gneiss, quartz, 

 mica-schist, Ac Coal-, lead-, and antimony-minea are worked ; iron- 

 and copper-ores are found at various points. Chalcedony, diamond- 

 spar, sapphires, amethyists, tourmalines, Jcc., are found, and also 

 marble, millstone grit, gypsum, &c., &c Mineral springs are numerous; 

 they are all saline or acidulous. 



The manufactures consist of common articles of necessity and use, 

 and are unimportant, with the exception of silk and thread laoe and 

 ribands. The people are in general poor, and many of them emigratn 

 during the winter months as sawyers, hawkers, porters, sweeps, Ac 

 About 300 fairs are held. 



In a country the highest point of which, Mont Mezen, is 6820 feet 

 above the sea-level, whilst its lowest point, namely, where the Allier 

 crosses the northern border, is only 1279 feet above the same level, 

 there is room for great variety of climate and season. Seed-time 

 and harvest differ in different cantons according to the elevation, the 

 maximum variation amounting to as much aa two months ; and such 

 is the difference of climate, that, while in some districts the vine 

 flouriahee, in others rye will hardly ripen. The south-west wind 

 blows at times for weeks continually, and with great violence ; the west 

 and north-west winds bring rain. 



Tbe department contains 1,226,246 acres, of which area 560,258 acres 

 are arable; 196,288 acres are grass land; 14,569 acres are occupied 

 with vines ; 177,896 acres with woods and forests ; 22'2,994 acres consist 

 of barren heaths and moors; 9371 acres of orebards, gardens, and 

 plantations ; and 1 2,680 acres are covered with rivera, tarns, and brooks. 



The department is divided into three arrondissements, which, with 

 their subdivisions and population, are aa follows : — 



Arrondisaements. 



Osatons. 



Oommnne*. 



FopaUtioninlSSl. 



1. Le-Puy . . 



2. Yssengeaux . . 



3. Brioude . 



IS 

 S 

 S 



Ill 

 17 



107 



lti,4S0 

 87,161 

 SS,024 



Total 



27 



an 



S04,61« 



1. In the firet arrondissement tbe chief town, Le-Pay, which is now 

 the capital of the whole department, as it formerly was of the district 

 of Vdlay, is situated at the foot and ' around the southern slope of a 

 steep hill, at the junction of three pretty valleys, watered respectively 

 by tbe Loire, the Home, and the Doloison, in 45° 2' 46'' N. lat, 

 3° 52' 65' K long., 66 miles S.\V. from Lyon, and boa 14,004 inhabit- 

 ants in the commune. Except the broad street at tbe foot of the 

 hill, through which the roads from Clermont and Lyon run, the rest 

 of the town is built in form of an amphitheatre round the steep sides 

 of Mont Anis, which is surmounted by a lofty basaltic rock called 

 ComeiUe. From a distance Le-Puy presents a most picturesque 

 appearance : but the interior view disappoints the expectations thus 

 raised. The streets are irregular, narrow, and in the upper part of 

 the town inaccessible to carriages; they are paved with volcanic 

 breccia, which in all weathen is riippery and dangerous to walk upon. 

 The most important structures are — the cathedral, situated in the 

 highest port of the town (the pavement of the nave is 2250 feet above 

 the level of the sea) ; the churob of St.-Laurent, situated at the foot 

 of the hill, and containing the monument and part of the remains of 

 Ou-Uuesclin; the prefect's residenoe in the spacious square of Du- 

 Breuil ; tbe college chureh ; the museum, near the cathedral, in which 

 are numerous paintings, Roman antiquities, and one of tbe beat collec- 

 tions of geological and mineralogical specimens in France ; the theatre, 

 an ancient structure, aupposed to have been a heathen temple ; the 

 eoolesiaatioal college; and the Pameaaao gate, a fine specimen of 

 military architecture over one of the promenades of the town. Le-Puy 

 ia the aeat of a bishop, and contains tribunals of flnt instance and it 

 commerce, a consultative chamber of manufactures, a college, a public 

 library, and various literary and scientific societies. In the suburb 

 de I'Aiguille is an isolated biiaaltio rock of pyramidal form, and 285 

 feet high, which is ascended by a stairqaaa of 218 steps cut in the 

 rock, and is surmounted by the highly ornamented chapel of 8t.-Michel, 

 erected in the 10th century. Between this rock and that of Corneille 

 stands a heptagonal building, said to have been a cbapel dedicated to 

 St. Clair, and now used as a corn-store. Tbe chief industrial products 

 of Le-Puy are lace, coarse woollens, wine-skins, nails, and leather; 

 the commerce is in tbaae articlea, and in com, iron, pottery, cattle, ka 



