LOIRE. This important river, whose length is between 500 and 600 miles, consti tutes the Outlet for the produce of central and western France. The Loire is connected with the Sa6ne by the Canal du Centre, with the Seine by the Canals de Briare, d'Orleans, and du Doing, and with Brest harbour by the canal from Nantes to Brest; and it has many important commercial towns built on its banks.
The river also gives name to a department, Which contains extensive forestt of pine, fir, beech, and oak; onMont Pilot, near St.-Etienne, an immense number of deals are made, saw mills being established on every available stream of water. But much of the finest pine timber is made into charcoal, in of the great difficulty of transport from the mountain-heights on it grows. Great quantities of chestnuts are grown ; these enter largely into the food of the people. The department contains one of the richest coal beds in France, which, besides feeding the numerous factories and furnaces of St.-Etienne, and other places in the department, furnishes large quantities for exportation to Lyon and the towns on the Rhone. The quantity of coal annually furnished by the mines of Loire amounts to one-third of all the coal raised in France. Lead and iron mines are also worked ;
building stone, granite, potters' clay, &c., are found ; mineral springs are numerous. The manufactures of the department are of the greatest variety and importance, and give rise to a very extensive commerce. The chief products are fire-arms, ironmongery, and machinery of all kinds, silks, ribands, crape, velvet, plush, laces, linen, cotton, glass, bricks, steel, iron, scythes, hardware, canvas, mill. castings, files and tools of all descriptions, cotton and linen yarn, lace, cutlery, earthen ware, tiles, lime, &c. &c. Great numbers of coal barges and canal boats are built at Roanne and St.-Rambert. The great centre of manu facturing industry is St.-Etienne.
There are four other departments of France, whose names bear some resemblance to that of Loire ; viz. Loire-et-Cher, Loire Haute, Loire Inferieure, and Laird. They present varied aspects in respect to produce and manu factures; but are not so important in those respects as the department of the Loire.