Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XIV.djvu/649

 SAONE SAONE (anc. Arar ; in the middle ages, Se- gona or Saucona), a river of France, which has its source at Viomenil, in the S. W. part of the department of Vosges, flows generally S. through the departments of Haute-Sa6ne, C6te d'Or, and Saone-et-Loire, forms the boundary between those of Kh6ne and Ain, and unites with the Rhone at Lyons. Its length is 280 m., of which 190 m. are navigable for steam- boats. The town of Gray is the head of navi- gation at the ordinary height of the river, but during an overflow large rafts, loaded with staves, iron, and other heavy produce, descend from the department of Vosges to Gray. Its principal affluents are the Oignon, Doubs, and Seille from the left, and the Ouche and Grone from the right. The Burgundian, Central, and Rh6ne and Rhine canals connect it with the Rhine and the Seine. Though usually a gen- tle stream, it has at times been subject to de- structive floods ; several of these are on record, including one in 1840 which produced great loss of property and life at Lyons. SAOXE-ET-LOIRE, a S. E. department of France, in Burgundy, bordering on C6te-d'Or, Jura, Ain, Rhone, Loire, Allier, and Nievre; area, 3,302 sq. m. ; pop. in 1872, 598,344. It is crossed from N. to S. by a mountain range, and is watered W. of this ridge by the Loire, and E. by the Sa6ne. The surface is diversi- fied and the soil moderately fertile. Fair wines, coal, iron, manganese, leather, glass, and linen, cotton, and woollen goods are produced. The great iron works of Le Oreuzot are in this de- partment. It is divided into the arrondisse- ments of Charolles, Chalon-sur-Sa6ne, Louhans, Macon, and Autun. Capital, Macon. SAOXE, Haute, See HAUTE-SAdxE. SAO PAULO. I. A S. province of Brazil, bounded N. by Minas Geraes, E. by Rio de Janeiro and the Atlantic, S. by Parana, and "W. by Matto Grosso ; area, 93,547 sq. m. ; pop. in 1871, 835,000. The coast, 250 m. long, is fringed by numerous islands, the largest being that of Sao Sebastiao. The best harbor is that of Santos. The Serra do Mar, forming the edge of the great Brazilian plateau, skirts the coast; its average height is 2,750 ft. On the W. side the country declines gently toward the plains of the Parana basin. This region is watered by large rivers, mostly navigable for several hundred miles; the principal are the Grande and the Tiete, tributaries of the Parana, which forms the W. boundary line of the province. The gold mines of Jaragua were long famous. Pompeo sets down the yield of all the gold mines up to 1800 at 116,250 Ibs. Silver, copper, and iron also occur, and dia- monds, rubies, and other precious stones have been found. Valuable coal mines have re- cently been discovered. The climate in the west is mild, but on the coast it is hot. The soil is very rich, and the chief articles of culti- vation are coffee, cotton, tobacco, sugar cane, maize, sweet potatoes, mandioca, and black beans. The value of the coffee exported in SlO PEDRO DO RIO GRANDE 625 1870-'7l was $5,600,000, one fifth of which was to the United States ; of the cotton, $1,300,000, half of which went to England. In 1873 there were 624 public schools, with 16,264 pupils. II. A city, capital of the prov- ince, 40 m. N. K W. of Santos, its port, and 225 m. W. by S. of Rio de Janeiro ; pop. about 20,000. It stands on high ground, almost sur- rounded by a low plain. The streets are nar- row and irregular, but well paved and light- ed with gas ; the houses are of adobe. The cathedral, a parish church, and several other churches attached to convents or nunneries, the bishop's and the president's palaces, the city hall, prison, three hospitals, and three stone bridges are noteworthy structures. Sao Paulo was founded by Jesuits in 1552 ; in 1712 it was incorporated as a city, and in 1746 was erected into a bishopric. SlO PEDRO DO RIO GRANDE DO SUL (for- merly abbreviated to Rio Grande do Sul, now to Sao Pedro). I. The southernmost province of Brazil, bounded N. by Parana, N. E. by Santa Catharina, S. E. by the Atlantic, S. W. by Uruguay, and N. W. by the Argentine Re- public ; area, 73,836 sq. m. ; pop. in 1872 (es- timated), 455,000, including several thousand Germans and about 84,000 slaves. The Serra do Mar traverses the province near the coast from N. to S., and the Serra Geral runs E. to W., none of the peaks rising more than 3,200 ft. above the sea. The S. and "W. parts are level, and the coast is low and sandy. Parallel to the coast in nearly its whole extent are Lake Merim, 115 m. long and 15 m. wide, and the lagoa dos Patos, 150 m. long and 40 m. wide, united by a natural canal, Sao Gonzalo, 50 m. long, and communicating with the ocean through the estuary called Rio Grande do Sul, which extends from the S. end of the lagoa dos Patos and empties into the Atlantic over a dangerous bar. Besides the Uruguay, which flows on its N. and W. border, the principal rivers are the Ibicuy, 350 m. long, a tributary of the Uruguay ; the Jacuy, navigable for 250 m., emptying into the lagoa dos Patos ; and the Jaguarao, 175 m. long, falling into Lake Merim. The W. shores of the lakes are verdant plains intersected by small streams, and producing all the cereals and fruits of the temperate and tropic zones, with flax, hemp, sugar cane, cot- ton, and tobacco. Ipecacuanha, sarsaparilla, turpeth, camomile, and indigo abound. The forests afford abundant timber and a great va- riety of cabinet woods. The province is rich in gold, silver, iron, copper, marbles, and par- ticularly coal. Lead, granite, kaolin and other clays, ochres, and many varieties of precious stones are found. Cattle raising is an impor- tant industry. Mining is still limited. Railway and telegraph lines are now (1875) in course of construction through the province. Educa- tion is encouraged; in 1873 there were 446 public schools, with an aggregate attendance of 14,696 pupils. The chief towns are Sao Pedro, Pelotas, Pardo, and Porto Alegre, the