or **MEMEL**, a river of Europe, rises in the swampy regions of the Russian government of Minsk, where it is formed by several small streams between N. Lat. 53° and 54°, E. Long. 27°. It flows first N., and then W., separating the governments of Vilna and Grodno; then, after making a detour through the latter, it divides them both from Poland, and finally flows through Prussia to the Curische Haff, into which it falls by two mouths. It receives from the right the Beresina, the Villa, the Joura, and other affluents; from the left, the Zelva, Szescuppe, &c. Its whole length is 450 miles; and, though in some places impeded by shoals, a great part of it is navigable. It is of considerable commercial importance; for most of the produce of Lithuania is conveyed by barges down this river; and all the timber exported from Memel is floated down the same channel.