The Nera, the ancient Nar, a considerable river, rises in the high Apennines above Norcia, and increased by its affluents the Corno, Velino, Salto, and Turano, flows through a deep valley, passes the towns of Terri and Narni, and, after a course of about 70 miles, enters the Tiber near GA*.
After the confluence of the Nera, the Tiber flows through a valley between the Sabine Mountains on one side and offsets of Monte Cimino on the other : it receives on its right bank the united waters of the Treia and the Ricano, after which the valley becomes coutracted between Mount Soracte on the west and the mountains of Poggio Mirteto on the cast. After this contraction, it opens into the wide undulating plain of the Cempagna. Three miles above Rome the Tiber receives the Anio, or Teverone, from the eastern Apennines, which has a course of above 60 miles. The course of the Tiber, from the confluence of the Nera to Rome, is about 70 miles, in which distance the width of its bed varies from 160 to 500 feet, the depth from 8 to 22 feet, and the fall is about one foot in every 3000 feet. Boats are three days in coming down from Orta to Rome, but in slimmer the navigation is often interrupted, owing to the shallowness of the water in several places. Within the walls of Rome the Tiber is about 300 feet wide and from 12 to 18 feet in deptb. The river is never fordable in or near Rome. During heavy rains and floods the waters sometimes have risen more than 30 feet above the ordinary level, overflowing the lower parts of the city, and occasioning consider able mischief. The maritime navigation begins below Rome the Tiber, after being confined by the quays and buildings of the town, spreads out to the width of 500 feet, until its bifurcation at Cape due Rural, a distance of 18 miles from Rome. Thence one branch of the river rune south-west into the sea below Ostia, a distance of about 5 mile., but is rendered useless for purposes of navigation by the accumulation of sand at the mouth. The other branch, which was widened by Tmjan, and has been improved at various times by the popes, in order to keep open the communication between Rome and the sea, runs west for about four miles and enters the sea at Fiumicino, where the entrance is secured by two piers. In winter time vessels of from 130 to 100 tons, besides smaller ones, ascend the river to Rome ; in summer there is often not more than 9 or 10 feet of water on the bar.
Steam-tugs ply on the Tiber below Rome. The dreary Randy tract between the two arms of the river is called Isola Sacra, or lioly Island.
The basin of the Tiber below Rome is bounded on one side by the Alban Mount, and on the other by the offsets of Monte Cimino, which surround the basin of the Lake of Bracciano, the waters of which enter the sea by the river Arrone. The Tiber, below Rome, receives only some small streams, the principal of which is the Galena, on Its right bank. The basins of the lakes of Bracciano and Bolsena, which arc separate from that of the Tiber, constitute, together with the basin of the river Flora, near the Tuscan border, the greater part of the Patrimonio di San Pietro. In the opposite or south-emit direction, the Alban Mount separate Ole basin of the Tiber from that of the Pomptine marshes; aud farther north the mountains of Palestrina separate the basin of the Tiber from that of the Lids, of which the Sacco is an affluent. The total length of the river with its windings is about 200 miles. The Tiber is the largest and most importaut river of the peninsular pert of Italy. Its waters from Perugia downwards to the sea are mnddy and yellowish. The current as it enters the Mediter ranean retains its colour to a considerable distance from the shore, and contrasts with the generally blue tinge of the sea-water, with which it does not mix for some miles.
The population of the States of the Church is Roman Catholic, with the exception of about 10,000 Jews, who live in the chief towns. The provinces, as before stated, are governed by a cardinal or other church dignitary, who is assisted by a council of laymen. There is also in every province a provincial council for local and financial affairs, which assembles for a fortnight once a year under the presidency of the delegate, or legate. For this purpose the communes appoint electors, who assemble at the head-town of their respective districts, and there choose the deputies to the council. One-third of the council is changed every two years. Every delegation or province is divided into districts, and every district into communes. Each commune consists of a town or large village, with the territory and hamlets belonging to it. At the head of each district is a governor (appointed by the Pope), who is also judge in the first instance, stud is subordinate to the delegate in his administrative but not in his judicial capacity.