RHINE (Menus), the most important river in Germany, and one of the most noted in Europe, takes its rise in the Swiss canton of the Grisons, and after a n.n.w. course of about 850 m., falls into the German ocean. The area of the Rhine basin, including its 'various feeders, which have been counted to the number of 12,000, is estimated at about $6,000 sq. miles. The Rhine is divided into the Upper, Middle, and Lower Rhine, the first of these terms being applied to the river from its source to Basel; the second applies to its course from Basel to Cologne; and the last to its course from Cologne through the Netherlands to into which it empties itself by several mouths, forming an exten sive'delta. The head-waters of the Upper Rhine consist of three main streams, called respectively the Vorder Rhine, the Matter Rhine, and the Hinter Rhine. The first and most easterly rises on mount Crispalt, n.e. of 'mount St. Gothard, 7,500 ft. above the 'level of the 'sea, and flowing e., bursts .like a torrent through a deep ravine. At Dis sent's. 12 in. from its source, it is joined by the Mittler Rhine, or central branch, at the comparative low level of 3,500 feet. At Reichenau. 50 m. from the source of the Vor der Rhine, the stream is swelled by the third branch, known as the Hinter Rhine, which, taking its rise among the glaciers of the Vogelberg, flows over a distance of 80 M. before it blends its waters-with the main branches. The Hinter Rhine, considerably the longest of the upper waters, claims to be esteemed the chief source, and at its confluence with the. other branch at Jleichenau, the river first assumes the general name of Rhine. At Coire, where the river takes a sudden turn northward, it is nearly 150 ft. wide, and nav igable for rafts and flat boats. A little above the small town of Sargans, in St. Gall, it leaves the Grisons, and forming the boundary between the small principality of Lichten stein and the Vorarlberg on the right, and St. Gall on the left, flows in a northerly direc tion to Rheineck, where it enters the Boden See, or lake of Constance, which may indeed be regarded as the river itself, augmented in its course between ItheMeck and Constance by the confluence of numerous streams. Emerging from the upper lake at Constance, the Rhine enters the Unter See, or lower lake, a few in. below, and follow ing a westerly course, forms the boundary-line between Switzerland and the grand duchy of Baden; and after receiving the Thur, Toss, and Aar on the left, and the moun tain torrents of the Wutach and Alli on the right, pursues its course to Basel. At Schaffhausen, about 13 tn. from the western extremity of the Unter See, the waters of the river, ridging over a rock 70 ft. high, form the cataract known as the falls of Schaffhausen; while lower down the narrowing of the channel through the projection of rocks oil either side gives rise to rapids both at Laufenburg, and at a point 10 in. below it, known as Hollenhacken, where the navigation is iin•eded for a considerable distance by the force of the cataracts. Below Basel, the Rhine, turning ;main dire n.,, separates AL:tee-Lorraine front Baden, forms the eastern boundary of Ilhenish Bavarim• cuts the province of Rhine-llesse in two. and !lows between Hessen-Nassau and Rhenish
Prussia, through which it afterward pursues a n.w. course. Before it reaches Cologne, it takes up numerous tributaries and affluents, viz.: the Ill. Wiese. Elz. Kinzig, Murg, Neckar, Main, Latin, Moselle, etc.; and passes the cities of Breis.ach, Strasburg. Ger m•rsheim, Spires, Mannheim, Worms, Oppenheim, Mainz, Bingen, Colbenz, anti Bonn. In this middle part of its course, the river makes great bends, the enrrtrnt is rapid, and lifirigation is rendered difficult by numerous small islands and sand-batiks, which are subject to changes of form and position. Much has been done to improve the Rhine above Bingen. By an agreement made in 1840, between France and Barlett, it has been brought into its proper channel and considerably shortened. The valley through the Rhine rims between steep banks from .Mainz to Bonn, contains the picturesque seenery which has made this river so celebrated, and the vineyards from which the fam ous Rhenish wines are obtained. From Cologne to its mouths. the Rhine flows through a low level country, end soon after entering the Netherlands, divides it into two arms, the left, called the Waal, uniting with the Maas near Fort Loevestein, end forming the Merwede or Merwe, which below Dordrecht takes the name of the Old Maas; the right arm, called the Rhine, a little above Arnheim, throws off the New Yssel, originally it canal. cut by Drusits to connect the Rhine with the Ohl Yssel. Flowing on to Wijk bij Dunrstede, the Rhine divides :win into the Lek, which unites with the New Maas near Ysselmonde, nad the Kromme Rhine, which at Utrecht parts into the Veda and the Old Rhine. the latter as a small SID:z1H1 entering the North sent by the liatwijk canal to the n.w. of Leyden. The delta of the Rhine, which extends from about 51' 35 to 52' 20 n. hit.. and occupies nearly 50,000 sq.m. of territory, belonging to the Dutch provinces of Nor th and South Holland, Utrecht, and GueWeiland, requires to be protected by strong embankments. The principal of these, which begin at 'Wesel, are about 25 or 30 ft. above the lowest level of the river. Several canals connect the Rhine with the Rhone and Saone, the Scheldt, Mdnse. and Danube, and thus open a line of communication with France and Belgium on the one side, and with the Netherlands and every part of on the other. The commerce and navigation of the Rhine. which are of vrst extent and great importance, used to be regulated by treaties between the different states through which it passes, all of which levied tolls on vessels and goods entering their respective territories, and thus produced an accumulation of dirties which pressed heaVily on the transit trade. Steam-navigation is, however, conducted with greater regularity and energy on the Rhine than on any other river of Germany; and of late years, since the main lines of railway, running on either side of the river, have been con nected by railway bridges across the river, additional importance and extension have been given to the commercial relations of all the countries connected with the Rhine. Pontoon or boat bridges cross the river at Cologne, Mainz, Mannheim, and a few other places.