SEINE, the Roman Sequena, a river in France, rises in the heights of Langres, near the town of Cbanosaux in the department of Cote d'Or, and flows north-west past Chatillon-surSeine, Bar-sum-Seine, Troyes, Romilly, 3lootereau, Melun, Corbeil, Paris, Mantes, Elbcouf, Rouen, and Havre, just below which it falls into the sea : its whole course is about 470 miles. Its source is 1426 feet above the level of the sea; at Troyes it is 331 feet above the same level ; at the junction of the Loing between Montereau and Melun, 184 feet; at Corbeil, 147 feet; and at Rouen, 111 feet. Its principal aflluenta on the right bank, in the order in which they join, are the Aube, the Marne, the Oise, and the Epte ; and on the bank the Yonne, the Loing, the Eure, and the Kille. The Seine and its tributaries abound in fish ; the sturgeon, the salmon, the sole, the shad, the eel, the smelt, and other fish are caught in it By mean, of a lateral canal between Manny and Troyes, and locks to avoid the fall at Nogentesur-Seine, the river is navigable from its mouth to Troyes, • distance of 370 miles. Liege river barges and small steamersply on the Lower Seine and as high as Paris; and recently • vessel has sailed direct to Paris from Rio Janeiro without breaking bulk. The tide ascends the Seine as far as Rouen, to which city onlinery sea-going vessels of 300 tons and under ascend. The navigation of the Seine and its tributaries is facilitated by the canals of Ourcq, St.-Denis, and St.-Martin, which connect the Ourcq with the Seine at Paris and at St.-Denis, and by some short cute; it is con nected with that of the Sa8ne and Rhone by the Canal-de-Bourgogue, which connects the Yonne, between Auxerre and Joigny, with the Same at St-Jean-de-Losne; and with that of the Loire by the Loiug Canal, which connects the Seine with the two canals of Orleans and Briare, of which the former joins the Loire just above Orleans, the latter at Briare. The canal of St.-Quentin and the Oise connects the
Seine with the Schelde. The total navigation of the Seiue and its tributaries is about 900 miles in length.
The Seine has a generally slow current; and its sinuosities, espe cially below Paris, are very great, and tend to reader the navigation tedious. The lowest bridge over the river is at Rouen. The shifting sands at the mouth of the river, and the shoals in its bed, formerly impeded the ascent of larger vessels than from 250 to 300 tons. Re cently great works have been constructed between Villequier and Quillebceuf, to confine the current in the mstuary of the river to a narrower bed ; thus a greater depth of water has been obtained, and the increased force of the stream has swept the passage clear of sands. The facilities afforded by this river for the supply of various articles for the markets at Paris are of great importance : corn, flour, wine, hay, wool, hemp, hides, fire-wood, timber for building, coal, sandstone, millstones, and iron are brought down from the districts the capital; while corn, flour, wine, cider, butter, fish-oil, flax, hemp, wool, pitch, resin, drug% colonial produce, and manufactured goods are carried op from places below the city. Between 4000 and 5000 sea going ships, besides coasters, enter and leave the harbours of Rouen and Havre annually.
The scenery in the upper part of the river is tame and monotonous ; but from Paris to Rouen, and still more from Rouen to the sea, it presents a more interesting appearance. The Seine is not subject to great overflows.