a large river of Germany, famous both in ancient and modern history. It rises among the Alpes Lepontiae, or Grifons; and first traversing the Lacus Acronius, divides the Rhæti and Vindelici from the Helvetii, and then the Germans from the Gauls and Belgæ; and running from south to north for the greatest part of its way, and at length bending its course west, it empties itself at several mouths (Cæsar); at three mouths into the German ocean, (Pliny;) viz. the western, or Helius; the northern, or Fleuvus; and the middle between both these, which retains the original name, Rhenus; and in this Ptolemy agrees.—Mela and Tacitus mention two channels, and as many mouths, the right and left; the former running by Germany, and the latter by Gallia Belgica: and thus also Asinius Pollio, and Virgil; the cut or trench of Drufus not being made in their time, whereby the middle channel was much drained and reduced, and therefore overlooked by Tacitus and Mela; and which Pliny calls the Scanty. To account for Cæsar's several mouths, is a matter of no small difficulty with the commentators; and they do it no otherwise than by admitting that the Rhine naturally formed small drains or rivulets from itself; the cut of Drufus being long posterior to him; in whose time Asinius Pollio, quoted by Strabo, who agrees with him therein, affirmed that there were but two mouths, finding fault with those who made them more; and he must mean the larger mouths, which emitted larger streams. The Romans, especially the poets, used the term Rhenus for Germany, (Martial).

—At present, the river, after entering the Netherlands at Schenkinkhaus, is divided into several channels, the two largest of which obtain the names of the Lech and the Waal, which running through the United Provinces, falls into the German ocean below Rotterdam.

Lower Circle of the RHINE, consists of the palatinate of the Rhine, and the three ecclesiastical electorates, viz. those of Cologne, Mentz, and Triers.

Upper Circle of the RHINE, consisted of the landgraviates of Alsace and Hesse, comprehending the Wetterau;

(A) The Society also adjudged to Mr Ball the medal in 1790, for cultivating rhubarb.