(anciently Matrona), a river of France, rising in the hills of Langres, and following a course nearly parallel to that of the Seine, flows first N.W. and then W., until it falls into that river a short distance above Paris, after a course of about 280 miles. The greater part of its course lies in the departments of Haute-Marne and Marne; but it also traverses those of Aisne, Seine-et-Marne, and Seine-et-Loire. It receives on the right the Ornain at Vitry, after a course of 48 miles; and on the left the Blaise, the Petit-Morin, and the Grand-Morin. The principal towns on the Marne are,—Langres, Chaumont, Joinville, Saint-Dizier, Vitry-le-François, Châlons, Mareuil, Epernay, Château-Thierry, Ferté-sous-Jouarre, and Meaux; and the river is navigable as far as Saint-Dizier, 210 miles from its junction with the Seine. The Marne is joined to the Rhine by means of a canal, which follows for a considerable distance the course of the Ornain. It crosses the Meuse at Voidé, the Moselle at Toul, and enters the Rhine at Strasbourg, its whole length being about 89 miles. Communicating with this canal another has been constructed from Vitry to Dizy, along the bank of the Marne, for 38 miles, on account of the rapid and winding character of this part of the river. There is also a third canal of 35 miles in length, which opens a communication between the Marne and the Aisne.

MAINE, a department of France, situated between 48. 28. and 49. 23. N. Lat., 3. 25. and 5. E. Long., and bounded on the N. by the departments of Aisne and Ardennes, E. by those of Meuse and Haute-Marne, S. by that of Aube, and W. by those of Seine-et-Marne and Aisne. The department, which has an area of 3158 square miles, consists of a bare plain, sloping from E. to W., with a few scattered hills, which do not rise higher than 1200 feet. The soil consists of a thin layer of sand lying upon chalk, except in the W. and N.W. borders, and along the valley of the Marne, where the soil is rich and good. It is separated into two nearly equal parts by the River Marne, from which it takes its name; and is watered also by the Marne. Aisne in the N.E.; by its tributaries the Suippe and the Vesle in the N. and N.W.; and by the Aube and the Seine in the S., the latter of which merely touches it for a very short distance. Marne enjoys a temperate climate and a pure atmosphere, although in the low and marshy tracts on the borders of the department fogs are very frequent. Cultivation is far advanced, and in a thriving condition. There are 500,000 acres of ploughed land, 193,000 of woods and forests, 189,000 of meadow land, 45,000 of vineyards, &c. Corn is grown to a considerable extent, especially oats and rye, which are more than sufficient for the supply of the wants of the department. Fruit trees are also numerous in Marne, and a great part of the department is covered with forests. But the most fruitful branch of agriculture in this district, and that on which most care is bestowed, is the cultivation of the vine, for Marne occupies a part of the old province of Champagne, so well known for the wines to which it has given name. This department produces annually about 15,400,000 gallons of wine. Many sheep are raised in Marne, and their breed has been much improved by crossing with the Merino and English breeds. The horned cattle and horses are small in size. Bees and domestic fowls are kept in great numbers in the department.

The chief mineral productions are,—limestone, chalk, flint, millstones, building stone, clay of various sorts. The department is famous for the manufacture of woollen and other tissues, which centre chiefly at Rheims. The principal articles of trade are wines, together with corn, flour, brandy, hides, timber, and the produce of the manufactures. The department is crossed by the railway from Paris to Strasbourg, which enters Marne at Dormans, and leaves it at Sermazie, after a course of 68 miles. It is divided into five arrondissements, which, with their populations in 1851, are as follows:

| Canton | Communes | Population | |--------|----------|------------| | Châlons | 5 | 109 | 52,562 | | Epernay | 9 | 185 | 93,090 | | Rheims | 10 | 183 | 138,031 | | Sainte-Menehould | 3 | 82 | 36,246 | | Vitry-le-Français | 5 | 135 | 53,373 | | Total | 32 | 694 | 378,302 |

Marne, Haute, a department of France, bounded on the N. by the departments of Marne and Meuse, E. by that of Vosges, S. by those of Haute-Saône and Côte-d'Or, and W. by that of Aube, is situated between 47° 35' and 48° 40' N. Lat., 4° 38' and 5° 52' E. Long. The surface, which occupies an area of 2401 square miles, is for the most part hilly, and in some places mountainous. The southern part of Haute-Marne is traversed by the hills of Langres, rising to the height of 2500 feet, and the Faucilles Mountains,—the latter of which form part of a continuous chain between the Cévennes and the Vosges Mountains, and constitute the watershed between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. The hills gradually diminish in height towards the north, where the country stretches out into beautiful valleys and extensive plains, broken here and there by hills either single or in groups. The geological character of the department is, with the exception of a single spot, of the secondary formation; and the prevailing structure is Jura limestone, with a small development of the coal measures. But notwithstanding the prevalence of mountains, and the small extent of rich soil in the department, it is well cultivated. Nearly a third of the surface is covered with forests. The principal rivers are the Marne, the Meuse, and the Aube, all of which have their sources in this department, which is also watered by several of their tributaries. The climate is healthy, and, though the cold in winter is intense among the mountains, the valleys and plains enjoy a mild and warm temperature. The amount of land producing corn in this department is 550,000 acres; vineyards, 37,500 acres; wood, 475,000 acres, &c. More corn is grown than suffices for the supply of the inhabitants; wine is also produced, but is not of great celebrity. Leguminous plants, hemp, &c., are cultivated; and a large quantity of wood is grown here for the supply of Paris. The sheep are numerous, and of a good breed, amounting to the number of 290,000; of cattle there are 90,000, not much esteemed; and of horses, 50,000. Poultry and bees are also reared; and many sorts of game abound in the department. Mining operations are carried on to a considerable extent in Haute-Marne; and the annual produce of the iron mines, for the working of which this is the first department in France, is valued at more than L35,000. There are also quarries of good building stone, millstones, marble, &c. Iron manufacture is the chief branch of industry pursued here; and the cutlery of Langres and of Nogent is very famous. The other manufactures are,—gloves, stockings, paper, leather, beer, &c. The trade is chiefly in iron, wood, corn, wines, &c. Saint Dizier is the centre of the iron trade; and this town, along with Vitry and others, forms the principal emporium for wood. The capital of the department is Chaumont, and it is divided into three arrondissements, which, with their populations in 1851, are as follows:

| Canton | Communes | Population | |--------|----------|------------| | Chaumont | 10 | 195 | 88,571 | | Langres | 10 | 209 | 106,424 | | Vassy | 8 | 145 | 73,403 | | Total | 28 | 549 | 268,398 |

Marnoch, a parish of Scotland, county of Banff, remarkable as having been the scene of one of the forced settlements which led to the disruption of the Church of Scotland in 1843, is situated on the Deveron, 9 miles S.W. of Banff; and has a population of 2994.