among the Turks, signifies a governor of a country or town. The Turks write it begh, or bek, but pronounce it bey.

This word is particularly applied to a lord of a banner, whom, in the same language, they call sangiac beg or bey. Every province in Turkey is divided into seven sangiacs, or banners, each of which qualifies a bey; and these are all commanded by the governor of the province, whom they also call begler-beg, that is, lord of all the beghs or beys of the province: these beys are much the same as bannerets were formerly in England.

Bey of Tunis, denotes a prince or king thereof; answering to what at Algiers is called the dey. In the kingdom of Algiers, each province is governed by a bey, or vice-roy, who is appointed and removed at pleasure by the dey; but has a despotic power within his jurisdiction; and at the season for collecting the tribute from the Arabs, is assisted by a body of troops from Algiers.