a department of France, lying between N. Lat. 49° 4' and 49° 46'; E. Long. 1° 42' and 3° 8'; is bounded on the N. by Somme, E. by Aisne, S. by Seine-et-Marne and Seine-et-Oise, and W. by Eure and Seine Inferieure. Its form is nearly that of a parallelogram; its length from E. to W. is 65 miles, average breadth about 40 miles; area 2244 square miles. The surface is undulating, with a general slope to the S.W., except a narrow strip of land in the N. of the department, which slopes towards the N. A chain of hills traverses it near its northern boundary, and another runs parallel to the left bank of the Oise; but none of the elevations exceed 850 feet above the level of the sea. The principal river is the Oise, from which the department takes its name. It rises near Chimay, in the province of Hainault in Belgium, not far from the French frontier, and flows S.W. through the departments of Nord, Aisne, Oise, and Seine-et-Oise, until it joins the Seine about 12 miles below Paris. Its whole length is 137 miles; and it is navigable as far as Chaunay 75 miles above its confluence with the Seine. It receives from the left the Serre, the Lette, the Aisne, and the Nonette; and from the right none but small streams, of which the most considerable is the Thérain. A small portion of the west of the department is watered by the Epte, a tributary of the Eure; and the S.E. corner is traversed by the Ourcq, which joins the Seine above Paris. The geological formation of the country is in general calcareous; and the soil in many parts fertile, consisting of a stiff clay; but in some places dry sandy tracts occur, which are entirely barren, or nearly so. Most of the land is well fitted for the cultivation of wheat or other kinds of corn; but the higher regions are chiefly used for pasture; and a great part of the country is covered with wood. The climate is not insalubrious, but rather moist, especially during the long winters. The mineral productions are few and of little consequence, except limestone, which is extensively worked. Small quantities of iron of an indifferent quality are also found. The extent of arable land in the department is estimated at about 960,000 acres; of meadow land, 74,000 acres; of vineyards, 6000 acres; of wood, 200,000 acres; of waste land, 37,000 acres. Corn, pulse, potatoes, and beet-root are produced in sufficient abundance to form articles of export; and hemp, flax, fruits for cider, &c., are also raised. The wine produced in Oise is bad; and the number of vineyards is decreasing. Cattle and horses are reared in the department, but not to any great extent; and the greatest amount of attention is de- voted to the sheep, which are in general of an excellent breed. There are in Oise about 100,000 head of cattle, 60,000 horses, 600,000 sheep, 50,000 pigs, 1500 goats, 2500 mules, and 8000 asses. Manufactures of various kinds are carried on to a large extent. Among the most important is that of beet-root sugar; but there are also manufactured broad cloth, bricks, tiles, pottery, porcelain, leather, cordage, paper, beer, glass, and other articles. The trade is considerable in the produce of the manufacturing industry, and in grain, fruits, cider, and timber. The means of internal communication consist of the three rivers, Oise, Aisne, and Ource, navigable in this department for 82 miles; two canals, 21 miles in length; a railway traversing the department for 43 miles; and numerous roads. Oise forms the diocese of the Bishop of Beauvais; includes 4 courts of primary jurisdiction, 2 courts of commerce, 3 communal colleges, and 841 primary schools. It returns three members to the legislative assembly. The capital is Beauvais, and the department is divided into four arrondissements as follows:

| Canton | Communes | Pop. (1859) | |--------|----------|------------| | Beauvais | 12 | 216 | 128,721 | | Clermont | 8 | 145 | 89,413 | | Compiègne | 8 | 149 | 95,002 | | Senlis | 7 | 126 | 82,949 | | **Total** | **35** | **636** | **396,085** |