a large and celebrated river of Italy, which has its source at Mount Viss in Piedmont, and on the confines of Dauphiny. It runs through Piedmont, Montferrat, the Milanese, and duchy of Mantua; from thence it runs to the borders of the Parmesan, and a part of the Modenese; and having entered the Ferrarese, it begins to divide at Ficchernolo, and proceeds to discharge itself into the gulf of Venice by four principal mouths. As it passes along, it receives several rivers, and often overflows its banks, doing a great deal of mischief: the reason of which is, that most of these rivers descend from the Alps, and are increased by the melting of the snow.