a department in the north-east of France, formed out of Auxerois in the ancient Burgundy, and Sennois, a part of ancient Champagne. It extends in north latitude from $47^\circ 22'$ to $48^\circ 37'$; and in east longitude from $2^\circ 47'$ to $4^\circ 19'$. It is bounded on the north by the departments of Seine-Marne and Aube, on the east by Aube and Côte d'Or, on the south by Nièvre, and on the west by Loiret. It is 2846 square miles in extent, divided into five arrondissements, thirty-seven cantons, and 481 communes, containing 355,237 inhabitants in 1836, all of whom adhere to the Roman Catholic church. The face of the country is undulating, with valleys extending between hills of moderate height. In the western division, the soil chiefly consists of clay, which is much covered with wood, and overrun with wet marshy pools and ditches. In the south and east it is calcareous and stony, and in the north a productive loam. It is on the whole tolerably fertile, yielding more corn than is required for the consumption of the inhabitants. The climate is mild and peculiarly healthy. The chief river, from which the department takes the name, is navigable. It enters from Nièvre, flowing from south to north; and after receiving the waters of the Vannes, the Armoncon, the Seray, the Eure, the Voisin, and the Tholon, it passes into the department of the Seine and Marne. The canal of Briare terminates near St Florentin, and the canal of Briare touches a small part of this division of the kingdom.

The chief occupation is agriculture, and the corn grown here is of a good quality, especially in the northern part; but in the east and the south the cultivation of the vine is found a more beneficial pursuit. A large quantity of excellent wine is made, especially in the district adjoining to Côte d'Or. There is nothing remarkable in either their cows or sheep; and the cultivation of green crops is very rarely attended to, the only good pasture being the natural meadows on the banks of the Yonne. Fruit trees are very abundant, and yield large annual crops, especially of plums; and the nuts and chestnuts are objects for export. The other articles exported are wood, charcoal, wine, hay, and live cattle. There are manufactures of cotton, linen, and woollen; paper-mills, tanneries, glass-houses, and potteries; but hardly sufficient for the home demand, and all upon a contracted scale. There are some small mines of iron, not yielding more than 300 tons of raw iron, which does not suffice for the supply. This department elects three deputies to the representative chamber.