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westerly direction, but near Pertuis gradually bends N.W. and thenceforth preserves this direction. It passes through the departments of Hautes-Alpes, of Basses-Alpes, and between those of See also:

VAUCLUSE

Vaucluse and Bouches-du-Rhone. It is commonly said to take its origin in some small lakes a little south of the See also:

SUMMIT

summit See also:

plateau of the Mont Genevre Pass. But really this stream is surpassed both in See also:

VOLUME

volume and length of course by two others which it joins beneath See also:

BRIANCON

Briancon:—the Clairee, flowing in from the See also:

north, through the smiling Nevache glen, at the See also:

head of which, not far from the See also:

FOOT

foot of the Mont Thabor (10,440 ft.), it rises in some small lakes, on the See also:

east See also:

side of the See also:

Col See also:

des Rochilles; and the Guisane (flowing in from the north-See also:

west and rising near the Col du Lautaret, 68o8 ft.). The See also:

UNITED

united stream soon receives its first affluent, the Cerveyrette (See also:

LEFT

left), and, after having passed through some See also:

FINE

fine deep-cut See also:

GORGES, SIR FERDINANDO (c. 1566-1647)

gorges, the Gyronde (right). It then runs through a stony See also:

PLAIN (O. Fr. plain, from Lat. plenum)

plain, where it frequently overflows and causes See also:

GREAT

great damage, this being indeed the See also:

main characteristic of the Durance throughout its course. At the foot of the fortress of Mont Dauphin it receives (left) the Guil, which flows through the Queyras valley from near the foot of See also:

MONTE

Monte Viso. Some way beyond it passes beneath See also:

EMBRUN

Embrun, the first important See also:

TOWN

town on its See also:

banks. It soon becomes the b9undary for a while between the departments of the Hautes-Alpes and of the Basses-Alpes, and receives successively the considerable Ubaye See also:

RIVER

river, flowing from near the foot of Monte Viso past See also:

BARCELONNETTE

Barcelonnette (left), and then the small stream of the Luye (right), on which, a few See also:

MILES, NELSON APPLETON (1839— )

miles above, is See also:

Gap.

It enters the Basses-Alpes shortly before reaching Sisteron, where it is joined (right) by the See also:

WILD, JONATHAN (c. 1682-1725)

wild torrent of the Buech, flowing from the desolate region of the Devoluy, and receives the Bleone (left) (on which See also:

DIGNE

Digne, the See also:

capital of the See also:

DEPARTMENT (Fr. departement, from departir, to separate into parts)

department, is situated) and the Asse (left), before quitting the department of the Basses-Alpes just as it is reinforced (left) by the Verdon, flowing from the See also:

LOWER

lower summits of the Maritime Alps past Castellane. After passing through some narrow gorges near Sisteron the See also:

bed of the river becomes wide, and spreads desolation around, the frequent overflows being kept within See also:

BOUNDS, BEATING THE

bounds by numerous dykes and enbankments. These features are especially marked when the river, after leaving the Basses-Alpes, soon bends N.W. and, always serving as the boundary between the departments of Vaucluse (N.) and of the Bouches-du-Rhone (S.), passes See also:

CAVAILLON

Cavaillon before it effects its junction with the Rhone. The drainage See also:

AREA

area of the Durance is about 5166 sq. m., while the height it descends is 6550 ft., if reckoned from the lakes on the Mont Genevre, or 7850 ft. if we take those at the head of the Nevache valley as the true source of the river. (W. A. B.

End of Article: DURANCE (anc. Druentia)

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DURAN, AGUSTIN (1789-1862)

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