The Canal do Centre, formerly the Charolais Canal, unites the Loire and the Saone. It commences in the Loire at Digoin. and follows the valley of the Arroux for a very short distance, then that of the Bone.
blase, a feeder of the Arroux ; at the head of which valley is its summit-level, about two miles long, where the canal crosses a depression in the Charohas height.; it then descends by the valley of the Dheune to the neighbourhood of Chagny, where it turns of and joins the Woe at ChAlon. Its length may be estimated at 75 miles, all in this department The lateral canal to the Loire consists of two parts, one extending from Roanne, in the department of Loire, to Digoin, in this department ; the other from Digoin to Briars, in the department of Loiret. The total river and canal navigation of the department amounts to about 270 miles.
The climate I. changeable in the Chan:aids heights ; it is too cold in that part to allow the culture of the vine. In the rich plain extending from these heights to the Wine the climate is delightfni. Of the total ass of the department, more than half is under the plough. The chief crops are wheat, rye, mulin, maize, barley, buckwheat, and potatoes. That part of the department which lies to the east of the Same la chiefly a corn-growing district; the parts Immediately adja cent to the river are productive In wine and pasturage, as well as in corn ; and the plain between the heights and the Loire abounds in pasture. The meadows and grasslands have an extent of nearly 320,000 acres, besides 64,000 to 65,000 acres of heath and common.
The number of hornel-eattle is above the average. The beef of the district is very good; the principal supply of Lyon Ls from this depart ment. The number of horse. and sheep is smalL A considerable number of pig. is bred. Oxen are very generally employed in the •a of aarictilture, and a considerable number Ls sent from the e- ,„,abourhood of Charente for the supply of the market. of Patin The vineyards occupy about 95,000 acres, and some of the wines, especially these grown in the neighbourhood of Macon, are in very high repute. The great bulk of the rrietage however ranks only as common table-wioe. The woodlands occupy above 400,000 acres; the timber is chiefly oak, beech, ash, pine, er, and chestnut. The
wolf and the will boar are met with In the Cevennes.
Beside. the industrial products already nsentionesi, the inhabitants manufacture steel, glass bottles, paper, copper ware, beet-root sugar, cotton stuff., leather, pottery, drugget, felt bats, wine casks, oil, flour, bricks, &c.
The department is divided into five arrondLseernents, as follows:— 1. The first errondiseement is named from its able( town, Macon, and among the other plaxes worth naming 1111 situated in the valley of the Oran*, 12 miles N.W. from Macon, and famous for its ancient Benedictine abbey, which was founded by William I. of Agnetelne, an. 910, and destroyed at the time of the first French revolution. The town has a college and 4260 inhabitants, who manu facture drogget, lapel-ware, paper, vinegar, leather, ke. The abbot's hoesse is the only part of the buildings of the Cluniao monks now Mill stending. rowans In pleasantly situated at the foot of a little hill on the right bank of the Saline, over which there is a good wooden bridge: the bonus are indifferently built ; there are two publio walks and a quay along the river. The townsmen manufacture hats, blankets, calicoes, cotton ootinterpsnets, beet-root roger, PIM potash : they send a greet quantity of good building stone to Lyon by the river, and carry on trade in corn end wine. There are twelve yearly fairs. There le • tribunal of commerce at Tounins. The population of the town is 5300.
2. le the meow] arroncliesernent the chief town is Atrun. The o'her towns are—CirreAsA 13 mile. S. from Anton : population, 3050. RptinIse, In a slab eoshaeld, 10 mile, H. from Anton : population, 2900. /ara-ekrioee, 22 mile. 8. by W. from Mann : population, 2000 ; and afeasteeree, 15 miles S. by B. from Autun: population, 1500. Mont.
cenis formerly gave name to a county belonging to the dukes of Bourgogne, the ruins of whose castle still cover a hill above the town. Near Montcenis is the village of Creuzot population, 6100. From 1500 to 2000 workmen are employed in the coal- and iron-mines, iron works, glass-worke, &c.