Rhone

RHONE, one of the most important rivers in Europe, and the chief of those which flow directly into the Mediterranean. It rises at the eastern extremity of the Swiss canton of the Valais, flows through Switzerland and France and enters the Mediterranean at the Gulf of Lyons. Its total length is 505 m., of which the Lake of Geneva, through which it flows, claims 45 m.; and its total fall is 5,898 feet. Its course (excluding the Lake of Geneva, q.v.) naturally falls into three divisions: (I) from its source to the Lake of Geneva (105-1- m. and fall ft.) (2) from Geneva to Lyons (124 m. and fall 689 ft.) and (3) from Lyons to the Mediterranean (23o m. and fall 53o ft.).

From its Source to the

Lake the Rhone is a purely Alpine river, flowing through a great trench first in a synclinal structure between the Aar and St. Gothard massifs, then along the front of the Pennine nappes. (See ALPS.) It issues as a torrent, at the height of 5,909 ft., from the Rhone glacier at the head of the Valais. It is almost immediately joined (left) by the Mutt tor rent, coming from a small glacier and then flows past the Gletsch hotel (where the roads from the Grimsel and the Furka pass unite). About half a mile from the glacier the river descends through a wild gorge to the more level valley, to reach the first village, Oberwald. It preserves a south-westerly direction till Martigny.

The uppermost valley of the Rhone is named Goms, its chief villages being Miinster and Fiesch, whilst the river is swollen by mountain torrents, descending from the glaciers on either side, by the Geren (left), near Oberwald ; by the Eginen (left), near Ulrichen; by the Fiesch (right), from the Fiesch glacier, at Fiesch; by the Binna (left), near Grengiols; by the Massa (right) from the Aletsch glaciers, above Brig. At Brig the Rhone has descended 3,678 ft. from its source in 28 m., and is already a considerable stream when joined (left) by the Saltine, descending from the Simplon Pass. Its course below Brig is less rapid and lies through wastes of alluvial deposits. The valley is wide and marshy, the river frequently overflowing its banks. Further mountain torrents fall into tne Rhone : these are the Visp (left) from the Zermatt valley, at Visp; at Gampel, the Lonza (right) from the Liitschen valley; at Leuk, the Dala (right) from the Gemmi Pass; at Sierre, the Navizen (left) from the Einfisch or Anniviers valley ; at Sion, the capital of the Valais, the Borgne (left) from the Val d' Herens ; below Sion, by the Morge (right), from the Sansetsch pass; and at Martigny by the Dranse (left) from the Great St. Bernard and the Val de

Bagnes. At Martigny, the river bends sharply to the north west toward the Lake of Geneva. Opposite Dorenaz it receives the Salanfe (left). Immediately below St. Maurice the Rhone rushes through a narrow and striking defile which commands the entrance of the Valais.

Beyond, the river enters the wide alluvial plain, formerly occupied by the south-eastern arm of the Lake of Geneva, but now marshy. It receives at Bex the Avancon (right) flowing from the glaciers of the Diablerets range, at Monthey the Vieze (left) from Champery and the Val d' Illiez, and at the Aigle the Grande Eau (right), from the valley of Ormonts-dessus. It passes Port Valais, once on the lake, before expanding into the Lake of Geneva, between Villeneuve (right) and St. Gingolph (left). During all this portion of its course the Rhone is not navigable, but its valley forms an artery into the Alps which is followed by the railways and roads.

The Upper Rhone, being fed by glacial streams, is overladen with sediment, much of which is deposited along the course, the remainder settling down in the Lake of Geneva, in the blue waters of which it is possible to follow the whiter course of the stream for some distance before it disappears.

From Geneva to Lyons.

About m. below Geneva the blue ness of the water of the Rh8ne is again disturbed by the Arve (left), from the glaciers of the Mont Blanc range, the two cur rents for some distance refusing to mix. The Rhone is here forced southward by the sweep of the Jura folds through which it breaks in a number of narrow gorges or cluses. It continues southward until joined near Corbelin by the Guier (left), from the Grande Chartreuse mountains and it continues the direction of this tributary thus rounding the southern spur of the Juras.