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 650 SAVOY separate it from Piedmont and the canton of Valais. This range contains the loftiest peaks and most magnificent glaciers in the whole Alpine system ; among the former are Monts Blanc, Ise>an, the Little St. Bernard, and Ta- bor ; among the latter, Is6ran and Chamouni. The country is intersected by several of its off- sets, viz. : the Alps of Savoy, branching from the Little St. Bernard, and covering with their ramifications most of the central and western districts; the Savoisian and Valaisian ridge, ex- tending from the Pennine Alps to the lake of Geneva; and La Vanoire, which diverges from Mont Ise>an and describes a curve toward the W. S. W. The streams generally rise in the main chain in the east, and flow directly or indirectly into the Rh6ne ; the Dranse, which flows northward to the lake of Geneva, the Arve, Ch6ran, and Isere, flowing wOvStward, are the most important. Besides its share of the lake of Geneva, Savoy has the smaller lakes of Bourget, Annecy, Morion, Haute-Luce, and Mont Cunis, and the subterraneous lakes in the cave of Biuigo. Mineral springs are abun- dant; those of Aix, St. Gervais, and Evian are the most famous ; and there are intermittent springs at Pigros and Haute-Oombe. Mines of argentiferous lead are wrought in various places, and there are mines of copper, iron, and lignite, anthracite, and bituminous coal, and quarries of marble, granite, slate, jasper, and porphyry. The forests furnish timber for ship building and other purposes. The extent of arable land is not considerable, but every acre is cultivated ; the valleys, of which the most celebrated is that of Chamouni, present a succession of cultivated fields, orchards, and gardens ; and the steepest declivities of the mountains are terraced and made productive. Wheat, oats, barley, rye, hemp, and fruits are extensively cultivated. Chestnuts form an important article of food among the poor. Vines thrive on the hills, and the wines are of good quality. Mulberry and walnut trees are cultivated, the nuts of the latter yield- ing oil. Numbers of cattle are reared. The rivers teem with fish, and the streams and lake at the foot of Mont Cenis, the Ch6ran, and the Guiers are famous for trout. The climate, though variable, is healthful and mild ; the cold is severe only on the mountains. The inhabitants, in manners, language, and sympa- thies, have always been essentially French. They are kind, honest, hospitable, and intelli- gent, fond of their country and loath to leave it permanently, though as many as 30,000 of them find employment during the winters in France, Switzerland, Italy, and Spain. Near- ly all of the non-migratory class are landown- ers, the soil being much subdivided. Agricul- ture is the chief pursuit, but there are many founderies and iron works, and linen, cotton, woollen, and other manufactories. Before its annexation to France, Savoy was divided into the provinces of Ghablais, Faucigny, Genevois, Maurienne, Savoy Proper, Upper Savoy, and Tarantaise. It now constitutes the depart- ments of Savoie (the southern part) and Haute- Savoie. For the latter, see HAUTE-SAVOIE. The former has an area of 2,221 sq. m. ; pop. in 1872, 267,958. It is divided into the ar- rondissements of Albertville, Chambery, Mou- tiers, and St. Jean de Maurienne. Capital, Chamb6ry. Savoy was originally inhabited by the Allobroges, Nantuates, and other tribes of Transalpine Gaul. Under the Romans it formed a part of Gallia Narbonensis. Subse- quently it belonged to the kingdoms of the Franks and Burgundians. The last king of Aries, Rudolph III., early in the llth century appointed Beroald, a descendant of the count of St. Maurice, as governor of Savoy. Count Humbert, however, who died about 1048, is generally regarded as the actual founder of the house of Savoy. He was a stepson of Ru- dolph III., and inherited the county of Mau- rienne, in addition to which he received from the emperor Conrad II., after the death of Rudolph and the permanent incorporation of Savoy with Germany in 1032, considerable fiefs, including Chablais and Vaud. His ne- phew Amadeus II., in right of his mother Ade- laide, heiress to the marqnisate of Susa, added a large part of Piedmont to the possessions of his house. Under Amadeus III. (1103-'48) the territory became in 1111 a county of the empire, and he was the first count of Sa- voy. Its domains were much enlarged under subsequent counts, especially Amadeus V. the Great (1285-1323). (See AMADEUS V.) Turin had become the capital previous to his reign. Amadeus VI., a chivalrous and adventurous prince, annexed Coni and other territories, and Amadeus VII. Nice. Under Amadeus VIII. (1391-1434) Savoy became a duchy in 1416 (see AMADEUS VIII.), and he reannexed Pied- mont, which for about a century and a half had been in the possession of a younger branch of the family. Charles I. (1482-'9) conquered the marquisate of Saluzzo. Charles III. (1504- '53) became involved in the wars between Francis I. and Charles V., and lost nearly all his possessions, which were recovered by his son Emanuel Philibert (1553-'80), who also acquired additional domains. He was one of the most warlike princes of tis house, com- manded the Spanish army in the battle of St. Quentin (Aug. 10, 1557), after a struggle grant- ed the Waldenses free exercise of their religion, and promoted agriculture, industry, and learn- ing. The ambition of his successor, Charles Emanuel I. the Great (1580-1630), son-in-law of Philip II. of Spain, resulted in new spoli- ations on the part of France (see CHARLES EMANUEL I.) ; and his son Victor Amadeus I. (1630-'37) was soon after his accession obliged to conclude with his brother-in-law Louis XIII. of France the disastrous peace of Cherasco. The fortunes of the house of Savoy had been at a standstill for a long period when Victor Amadeus II. succeeded Charles Emanuel II., a peaceful prince, in 1675. After various