SEINE, one of the chief rivers of France, rising on the eastern slope of the plateau of Langres, 18 m. N.W. of Dijon. It flows north-westward throughout its entire course, but has numerous windings : between its source and its mouth in the English Channel the direct distance is only 25o m., but that actually traversed by the river is 482 m.
Rising at 1,545 ft. above sea-level, the Seine is at first such an insignificant streamlet that it is often dry in summer as far as Chatillon (7o5 ft.) some 31 m. from its source. It next passes Mery, and at Marcilly receives the Aube (right), at which point the Haute-Seine Canal from Troyes and Bar terminates and the river itself is canalized. Here it is deflected south-west by the heights of the Brie, the base of which it skirts past Nogent and Montereau. At the latter point it receives the Yonne (left), and is deepened from 5 ft. 3 in. to 6 ft. 6 in. It resumes its north-west direction, receives the Loing (left) at Moret, passes Melun, is joined at Corbeil by the Essonne (left), and just above Paris by the Marne (right). From this point to the sea its channel has been deepened so that vessels of 9 to io ft. draught can reach the capital. The river then meanders through a pleasant Cham paign country past St. Cloud, St. Denis, Argenteuil, St. Germain, Conflans where it is joined by the Oise (right) and then passes Poissy, Mantes and Les Andelys. From the Oise to the sea the river flows over Cretaceous strata. At Poses the river becomes tidal. It next receives the Eure (left), and passes Pont de l'Arche, Elbeuf and Rouen, where sea navigation commences.
The river is dyked below Rouen so as to admit vessels of 20 ft. draught, and large areas have thus been reclaimed for cultivation. At every tide there is a "bore" ranging usually from 8 to 9 ft. Below Quilleboeuf, where it receives the Risle (left) the estuary begins, set with extensive sandbanks, between which flows a nar row navigable channel. Tancarville (right) is the starting-point of a canal to enable river boats for Havre to avoid the sea pas sage. The river enters the English Channel between Honfleur (left) and Havre (right). The low elevation of the surrounding
hills has rendered it comparatively easy to connect the Seine and its affluents with adjoining river basins by means of canals; and it is so connected with the Somme, the Scheldt, the Sambre, the Meuse, the Rhine, the Saone and the Loire.
a department of northern France, formed in 1790 of almost the entire district of Brie (half of which belonged to Champagne and half to Ile-de-France) and a portion of Gatinais (from Ile-de-France and Orleanais). Pop. (1930 406,108. Area, 2,275 sq.m. The department belongs to the Seine basin, and is drained partly by that river and partly by its tributaries the Yonne and the Loing from the left, and from the right the Voulzie, the Yeres and the Marne, with its affluents the Ourcq, the Petit Morin and the Grand Morin, at the last-named of which the German advance in Sept. 1914 was stayed.
The oats and wheat of Brie are very good; potatoes, sugar beet, mangel-wurzel and green forage are important crops, and market: gardening flourishes. Provins and other places are well known for their roses. The cider and honey of the department are of good quality. Brie cheeses are well known, and large num bers of calves, sheep and poultry are reared. There are large forests covering a fifth of the surface. Most important is the forest of Fontainebleau. Large areas are devoted to game-pre serves. Excellent freestone is quarried in the department, notably at Chateau-Landon and Nemours, mill-stones at La Ferte-sous Jouarre ; the Fontainebleau sandstone is used for pavements, and the white sand which is found along with it is in great request for the manufacture of glass. Along the Marne are numerous gypsum quarries ; lime-kilns occur throughout the department ; and peat is found in the valleys of the Ourcq and the Voulzie. Beds of common clay and porcelain clay supply the potteries of Fontaine bleau and Montereau. Paris is the chief outlet for the industrial and agricultural products of the department.