919 



BEAIIN. 



BEAUMARIS. 



950 



of Franklin, Simpson, and Richardson, Great Bear Lake has been 

 passed in the route. 



BE'ARN, one of the thirty-two provinces into which France was 

 formerly divided. It now forms the greater part of the department 

 of Basses-Pyrenees. Its capital was Pau. [PYRENEES, BASSES; PAU.] 

 The name Beam is derived from Beneharnum, an ancient town first 

 mentioned in the 'Itinerary' of Antoninus; its exact position is 

 undetermined. D'Anville places it near Orthez ; Walckenaer at 

 Vieille-Tour, east of the village of Maslacq, which stands on the left 

 bank of the Gave-de-Pau, about 5 miles south-east from Orthez. 

 Beneharnum, or Benarnum, as it was then called, existed in the 

 6th century, and gave title to a bishop. 



Beam was included in the country of the Aquitani. Upon the 

 downfal of the Roman empire it came into the hands of the Goths, 

 from whom it was wrested by the Franks under Clovis. It was 

 however subsequently lost by the Franks, but came again into their 

 possession in the time of Charlemagne. In 820 Louis le Debonnaire, 

 son of Charlemagne, conferred the vice-county of Bdarn on the son 

 of the duke of Gascoigne, and it continued in the possession of his 

 family ti 1 1 1 134. By failure of the male line of his posterity it passed 

 into oth> . families, as those of the viscounts of Gavaret, the Moucades 

 (who were among the chief nobles of Catalonia), and the counts of 

 Foix. These last acquired possession of the district of Bigorre, and 

 intermarried with the royal family of Navarre. By this intermarriage 

 the kingdom of Navarre, the principality of B(!arn, and the counties 

 of Foix and Bigorre came into the hands of one possessor. On the 

 failure of heirs male they were conveyed by marriage into the family 

 of D'Albret, and augmented by the inheritance of that family. Of 

 this family sprang Henry IV., who inherited the country of Beam and 

 Lower Navarre. On the accession of Henry to the throne of France, 

 Beam was united with France, and has continued to be so united 

 ever since. 



BEAUCAIRE, a town in the department of Gard in France, stands 

 at the base of a bare rocky cliff on the right bank of the Rhone, in 

 43 48' N. lat., 4 36' E. long., at a distance of 439 miles S.S.E. from 

 Paris, and 16 miles by railway E. from Nismes : population, 9795. 

 The town communicates with Taraacon on the opposite bank of the 

 Rhone by a magnificent suspension-bridge of four arches, which spans 

 the river at a point where its breadth is 686 yards : it was erected in 

 1829 at a cost of 600,0001 The streets of Beaucaire are narrow, but 

 the houses are pretty well built : the most remarkable buildings are 

 the Tour-Carree, a square tower of admirable structure, the church, 

 the town-hall, and the gate of the Rh6ue. On the rock above the 

 town are the ruins of the old castle of Bellicadro, which belonged to 

 the counts of Toulouse, and from which the town derives its name. 



Beaucaire is very advantageously situated for trade. It has com- 

 niuuicatiim with the Mediterranean by the Rhone, which is navigable 

 for vessels of considerable size up to the town ; by the canal of Beau- 

 caire, or Aigues-Mortes, which forms part of the great system of 

 canals that unite the Rh6ne and the Garonne ; and by railways with 

 Nutmeg, Montpellier, Cette, Avignon, and Marseille. A railroad joins 

 Beaucaire also to the iron and coal districts of Alais and La Grand'' 

 Combe. Long before the age of railroads however its favourable position 

 made it an entrepot of the trade of France with Spain, Africa, Italy, and 

 the Levant. One of the great old fairs of Europe is held here every 

 year during the month of July. It is said to date from the year 1168. 

 Although it begins on the first of the month, the bustle of business 

 does not commence till about the 15th, when Greek, Armenian, Turkish, 

 Egyptian, Arabian, Italian, Spanish, and Moorish merchants arrive to 

 Bell the merchandise of their respective countries and take away in 

 return the manufactures of France. The concourse of people at this 

 fair in ordinary times is said to exceed 100,000. For their accommo- 

 dation a supplemental town, regularly laid out in streets, is built of 

 tents in a vast meadow bordered with elm and plane-trees, which 

 extends between the Rhone and the ruins of the old- castle. Here 

 articles of every kind, whether of convenience or luxury, may be 

 found ; and in this city of canvass the main business of the fair is 

 transacted. A tribunal consisting of twelve members settles any 

 iliiputen arising between the buyers and sellers during the continu- 

 ance of the fair. All bills are payable on the 27th, and the fair closes 

 at midnight on the 28th. The prefect of Card always attends and 

 entertains the principal merchants and strangers. The transactions 

 at this fair are said to cause an outlay of above 150 millions of francs. 



The ordinary commerce of the town consists of corn, flour, provision 

 stores, wine, oak planks, &c. The principal manufactures are hosiery, 

 serge, silk stuffs, olive-oil, pottery, and leather. Beaucaire is an im- 

 portant mart for the sale of raw silk. The Aries and Lyon steam- 

 boats land and take up passengers at Beaucaire. 



Beauc-.ire seems to have existed in ancient times under the name 

 of Ugernum. In the 7th century Ugernum was regarded as a place 

 of great strength, and was perhaps rather a castle or military post 

 than a town of any extent. In the llth century the name Ugernum 

 gave place to that of Belli-Cadrum, or Belcadro (whence the modern 

 Beaucaire), derived either from the square form of the castle or of the 

 towers of the castle, or from the beauty of the district in which it 

 was pU'-dl ; fur *':i<lrr', or Cain' 1 , in the dialect of Languedoc and 

 Provr .< a square, or generally a space. The name Ugernum, 



though lost by the town, was traceable in that of an island in the 



Rhone opposite to it, which was called Gernica, a corruption seemingly 

 of Ugernica. This island, by the drying up of the branch of the Rhone 

 which surrounded it on the east side, is now united to the town of 

 Tarascon, the lower part 'of which is still called Gernegue. In the 

 middle ages Beaucaire was under the counts of Provence until it was 

 ceded in 1125 to the count of Toulouse; and in the troubles which 

 that illustrious family suffered for their protection of the Albigenses 

 it was twice the scene of contest. To the counts of Toulouse Beau- 

 caire is said to owe its celebrated fair ; but this is doubtful, though 

 the fair, at any rate, existed long before the year 1463, when 

 Louis XI. of France granted certain privileges to those who frequented 

 it. In the religious wars of the 16th century it suffered from both 

 parties; in 1622 Louis XIII. demolished the castle, which is now 

 a ruin. 



(Diaionnaire de la France, Paris, 1845 ; M'Culloch's Commercial 

 Dictionary.) 



BEAUC'E, LA, a district in the former province of Orldannois in 

 France. It now forms the greater part of the departments of EURE- 

 ET-LoiB and LOIB-ET-CHEB. Chartres was its capital. The surface of 

 the district is level and bare of trees, presenting plains of vast extent, 

 which have been famous in all ages for producing excellent wheat. 

 The soil is naturally dry; water is scarce and bad. 



BEAUFORT. [MAINE-ET-LOIRE.] 



BEAUGENCY. [LOIKET.] 



BEAUJEU. [RHONE.] 



BEAUJOLAIS, LE, a district in France, a subdivision of the old 

 province of Lyonnais. It now forms the northern part of the depart- 

 ment of Rhone, and a portion of it is included in the arrondissement 

 of Roanne in the department of Loire. It is named from its chief town 

 Beaujeu, and is famous for its forests, vineyards, and pastures. The 

 other towns of the district were Belleville, Charlieu, and Villefranche. 

 [LOIRE ; RHONE.] 



BEAULIEU. [CoRREZE ; INDBE-ET-LOIRE.] 



BEAULIEU. [HAMPSHIRE.] 



BEAULY. [INVERNESS.] 



BEAUMARIS, Anglesey, North Wales, the county town, a muni- 

 cipal and parliamentary borough, a market-town, and in conjunction 

 with Bangor the seat of a Poor-Law Union, in the hundred of 

 Dindaethwy. It is situated on the picturesque bay of Beaumaris, 

 at the northern entrance of the Menai Strait, in 53 16' N. lat., 4 5' 

 W. long., at the distance of 4J miles from the Meuai Bridge, 3J miles 

 in a direct line from Bangor, and 239 miles N.W. from London by road : 

 the population of the municipal and parliamentary borough, which 

 are co-extensive, was 2599 in 1851. Beaumaris contributes, with 

 Atnlwch, Holyhead, and Llangefni, to return one member to the 

 Imperial Parliament. The borough is governed by four aldermen 

 and nine councillors, one of whom is mayor. The living is in the 

 archdeaconry and diocese of Bangor. Beaumaris Poor-Law Union is 

 noticed under BANGOR. 



The original name of the site was Bonover, which was changed by 

 Edward I., who may be regarded as the founder of the town, to 

 Beaumaris. After Edward I. had secured his conquests in Caernar- 

 vonshire, by the erection of the castles of Caernarvon and Conway, he 

 built Beaumaris Castle in 1295 ; a low marshy spot was selected for 

 the site, for the purpose of having a large fosse around the castle 

 filled with water from the sea. A canal also was cut to enable small 

 vessels to discharge their lading under the walls, for the use of the 

 garrison. Each of these three castles built by Edward on the Menai 

 differs in form. Beaumaris Castle, from the lowness of its site and 

 the dilapidated state of the walls, presents a far less imposing appear- 

 ance than the others. It consists of an outer ballium or envelop 

 flanked with ten circular bastion towers, of which those at the augles 

 are the largest ; and has on the east side an advanced work, called 

 the Gunner's Walk. About the centre of this fortified inclosure 

 stands the principal body of the castle. Its height far exceeds that 

 of the envelop, and at a distance appears to rise majestically from it, 

 as from a base. It is nearly quadrangular, with a grand round tower 

 at each angle, and another in the centre of each face. The interior 

 consists of an area 190 feet square, with obtuse corners. The centre 

 of the north-west side contains a great hall, 70 feet long and 23 i feet 

 broad, with a proportionate height : it has five large pointed windows, 

 which form a handsome front to the inner quadrangle. On the eastern 

 side of the area there are remains of a chapel of great elegance, though 

 in a very dilapidated state. It is of the early English style, with 

 decorated windows_ and reredos. The groined roof is supported by 

 ribs springing from pillars, between each of which is a long narrow 

 window. There was a communication between the several parts of the 

 inner court of the castle by means of a narrow surrounding gallery, a 

 considerable portion of which is still entire. Within recesses formed in 

 the wall in the sides of this gallery, are several square apertures appa- 

 rently once furnished with trap-doors, which opened into rooms 

 beneath ; but as there are no vestiges of descending steps it is difficult 

 to ascertain their use. It is conjectured that these rooms, as well as 

 the two circular eastern towers, were employed for the confinement 

 of prisoners. The principal entrance to the castle faces the sea, and 

 is formed by two circular bastion towers, between which is a pointed 

 archwny which was fortified with four portcullises. 



The governor of the castle was generally also captain of the town, 



