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Bayeux, a town of France, in the department of
Calvados, and a bishop’s see. The cathedral is
very noble, and contains an exhibition on tapes-
try, of the conquest of England by William the
Norman, and there are 17 other churches. The
chief trade is in leather. It is seated on the riv-
er Anre, 4 m. from ,the English Channel, and 140
AV. by N. of Paris. Long. 0. 42. AV. lat. 49. 17.
N. Pop. about 10.500.
Bayon, a town of France, in the department of
Meurthe, on the river Moselle, 12 m. S. of Nancy.
Bayoa, a town of Spain, in Gallicia, on a small
gulf of the Atlantic, with a convenient harbour,
12 m. W. by N. of Tuy.
Bayonne, a city and seaport of France, in the
department of Lower Pyrenees, and a bishop’s
see. The Nive and Adour unite their streams in
the middle of the city, and proceed to the sea, at
the distance of a mile. The first, which is deeper
and more rapid than the Adour, divides the town
into two unequal parts, the smallest of which is
called the Bourg neuf, or new town. They have
a communication hy three timber bridges. A bank
of sand, at the mouth of the Adour, renders the en-
trance of the harbour difficult. The citadel is the
strongest in France, and the cathedral is remark-
able for the height of the nef, and the delicacy
of the pillars which support it. The military weap-
on, the bayonet, bear the name of this city, in
which it was invented. The chocolate of Bayonne
is famous; and it also exports wines, woolen
cloths, silks, cottons, dec. Toe chief trade arises
out of its relation with Spain : and it is a kind of
emporium for the merchandise of that country-
The court of France was held here for some time
in 1808, when the king of Spain and his son. the
prince of the Asturias, were invited here to settle
their differences before Bonaparte, the result of
which was, that they were made to sign a treaty,
resigning the crown of Spain into his hands. Bay-
onne was besieged by the English in 1814, during
which the French made a sally, and attacked the
English with success, but were at length driven
back. The loss of the British in this affair was
considerable, and their commander wounded and
taken prisoner. It is 25 m. S. AV. of Dax and 518 S.
by AV. of Paris. Long. 1. 29. W. lat. 43. 29. N.
Baypour, a town of Hindoostan, in the province
of Malabar, on a river capable of receiving vessels
of 400 tons. It is 15 m. S. by E. of Calicut.
Bayou, the name given in Louisiana to the
forks of the rivers, or natural canals which inter-
sect almost every part of the state. It is probably
a corruption of the French word boyau.
Bayreuth, a city of Franconia, capital of aprin-
vpality of the same name, with a palace, a fine
castle, and a famous college. Near it, forming a
kind of suburb, is the town of Georgen, which has
a large castle, a manufacture of excellent brown
and white porcelain, and a house of correction, in
which the marble of the country is polished by
means of a machine. In 1783 the archives of the
principality were brought to Bayreuth, from Pla-
senburg; see Culmhach: and in 1791 the margravate
of Bayreuth, with that of Anspach, was abdicated
by the reigning prince in favour of the king of
Prussia, but both were annexed and guaranteed
by Bonaparte, and afterward confirmed by the
congress at Arienna, to the kingdom of Bavaria,
(which see ;) and Bayreuth is now the capital of
the circle of Upper Mayne. It is 32 m. E. of
Bamberg. Long. 11. 44. E. lat. 49. 55. N.
Baza, a town of Spain, in Granada, seated on
the Gaudalantin, 21 m. E. N. E. of Guadix |
Bazasj a town of France, in the department of
Gironde and lately an episcopal see. It is seated
on a rock, 5 m. from the river Garonne, and 42
S. E. of Bordeaux. Long. 0. 2. W. lat. 44.22. N.
Beachy Head, the highest promontory on the
south coast of England, between Hastings and
Seaford. Long. 0. 15. E. lat. 50. 44. N.
Beaconsfield, a town in Buckinghamshire, Eng.
The poet Waller lived here, and is interred in the
churchyard. It is also the place of interment of
Edmund Burke. It is seated on a hill, 23 m. W.
N. W. of London. Pop. 1,756.
Beallsviile, p.v. Washington Co. Pa. 7 m. W.
Brownsville.
Beaminster, a town in Dorsetshire, Eng. with
manufactures of canvas, iron, and copper. This
place suffered greatly by fire in 1781. It is 15 m.
W. N. W. of Dorchester, and 132 W. by S. of Lon-
don. Pop. in 1821, 2,806.
Beareamp, r. N. H. falls into Ossipee Lake.
Bearfield, t. Perry Co. Ohio.
Bear Island, an island in Bantry Bay, Ireland,
with fortifications which form a strong defence
to the head of the bay. The island is about 12 m.
from the town of Bantry.
Bearn, a late province of France, 40 m. long
.and 30 broad; bounded on the east by Bigorre,
south by Spanish Navarre, west by Soule and a
part of Lower Navarre, and north by Gascony and
Armagnac. The plains are fertile, especially in
pastures, and the hills are loaded with vines. It
now forms with Basques the department of the
Lower Pyrenees.
Beat, St. a town of France, in the department
of Upper Garonne, the houses are built of marble,
there being no other stone in the neighbourhood.
It is seated on the Garonne, 12 m. S. S. E. of St.
Bertrand.
Beaucaire, a town of France, in the department
of Gard, on the Rhone, about 20 m. from the sea,
where the river forms a spacious harbour and has
a communication by a bridge of boats with Taras-
con on the opposite bank of the river. Much
trade is carried on here, and an annual fair, held
for six days, in the month of July, was formerly
- the most famous in Europe, but is now of little
importance. It is 11 m. E. of Nismes.
Beciuee, a late province of France, between the
Isle of France, Blasois, and Orleanois. It is so
fertile in wheat that it is called the granary of
Paris. It now forms the department of Eure and
Loire.
Beaufort, a maritime district, forming the
south-east corner of the state of South Carolina ;
bounded on the south-west by the Savannah Riv-
er. It is a low swampy district, but very pro-
ductive in rice and cotton. In addition to the
Savannah on the south, it is bounded on the north
by the Big-slake-hatchie River, and the Coosaw-
hatchie intersects the district from north-west to
the south-east, dividing into two branches about
the centre of the district and forming an island
called Port Royal Island, on which is a town nam-
ed Beaufort, formerly the capital of the district,
hut the courts are now held at the town of Coosaw-
hatchie, about 20 m. N. W. of Beaufort, and 193
S. of Columbia, the capital of the state.
Beaufort, a County of North Carolina, divided
in two parts by the Pamlico River, at its entrance
into Pamlico Sound; it is a swampy and dreary
district, with a population of10,949. Washington,
130 m. E. by S. of Raleigh is the chief town.
Beaufort, ph. a seaport of North Carolina, chief
town of Carteret County. It is situate on the N. |
