The Rhone.
The canal de Lone, a new branch of the Rhone, about 10 miles in length, was made into a canal from a survey of Niquet, in 1706. It has, since that time, continued to be the principal branch.
Lalande is of opinion, that the navigation of the Rhone is always bad, because of the sand which is drawn to and lodged in its mouth, and is frequently shifting. At times there is not more than four feet depth of water, when an interruption is created fur four months.
The canal of Arles was, in 1642, undertaken by a company of Dutchmen for diamage. In 1706, the in habitants of Hieres began a canal named Ceinturon; it was discontinued in 1707, but has since been completed to Nut de Bue.
The canal of Forez, between the Rhone and the Loire, has been partly executed under the name of the canal of Giver. Its summit would be 1211 feet above the Rhone, and 33i miles in length. It coniimcnces at Giv ers, 104- miles helm, Lyons, proceeds to the shore of the Gier, 8 miles from Givers. Not above one•third is cuted; but this has 28 locks 80 feet long, and 15 wide.
There now exists between the lake of Geneva and that of Neufchatel, a canal which proceeds from I'ver dun to near Venoge, a small river, which falls into the lake of Geneva, near Lausanne. From the lake of Neufchatel it would be easy to perfect the navigation of the river Aar, which falls into the Rhine. But the Rhone, in its present state, would render every commu nication imperfect.
In July, 1760, the brothers Perroud, engineers of the Republic of Valois, having represented to the French minister the advantage which would be derived from transporting red fir, Ecc. by improving the Rhone be low Geneva, an inspection by French officers took place, from Lc Fort l'Eclusc to Leyssel, but more especially at thc great cataract, where the Rhone loses itself at the bridge of Lueey, near Bellegarde. The before-men tioned brothers proposed various projects, but nothing was done.
After the Rhone has left Geneva about ten miles, it enters between rocks from 100 to 200 feet high, and there loses itself. It disappears entirely at Bellegarde.
Its fall is 207 feet in about 742 miles. The floods from the rains and the melting of the snows upon Mount Jura carry down great quantities of earth and gravel. Ac cording to De Luc, the lake of Geneva is 1202 feet above the 'Mediterranean, where the river disappears 954, and at Lyons 538 feet.
The boats which navigate the Rhone are 64 feet long and 17 broad.
The canal of the Centre, or of Charolois, joins the Loire to the Soane ; it departs from the Loire at Dijon, follows the banks of the Arrax, then the left bank of the Bourbince, passing by Parcey, Genelard, Airy and Blauzey, to the lake of Moutchamin, which has been made navigable, as has also that of Long Pendu, these lakes forming the summit level. From Dijon to the summit there are 30 locks, rising 240 feet in 6300 me tres. The length of the summit level is 3940 metres.
The canal then descends by the left bank of the Dheune to St. Julian, where it crosses that river, and proceeds along the right bank by St. Benain, St. Leger, Deunevis, St. Gilles, and Rcmigny, to Chagny. At this place the canal turns to the right, and abandoning the valley of the Dheune, crosses towards Thalic, which river it follows to its termination in the Soane at Cha lons. The descent from the summit le%el to the Soane is 400 feet, by 50 locks, upon 4700 metres dis tance. The whole length of the canal is 114.322 me tres, or 71 English miles; the length of each lor k is 100 feet, and 16 in breadth. The canal is SO feet at the bottom, 48 at thc water's surface, ano 5-1 fect deep. The chief trade is wine, timber, coals, corn, and titer chandize, in about 4000 boats annually. This canal was begun in 1783, and completed it, 1792. M. Gauthey was engineer. Various extensions have been projected from the summit level of the canal, of which a small part only has been executed.
Canal of Burgundy.