or BAIROUT, a town of Phœnicia, a province of Syria, in Turkey in Asia. It is the ancient Berytus; but there are now no remains of its former beauty, except its situation. It stands in a plain, which from the foot of Lebanon runs out into the sea, narrowing to a point, about two leagues from the ordinary line of the shore, and on the north side forms a pretty long road, which receives the river of Nahr-el-Salib, called also Nahr-Bairout. This river has such frequent floods in winter, as to have occasioned the building of a considerable bridge; but it is in so ruinous a state as to be impassable. The bottom of the road is rock, which chafes the cables, and renders it very insecure. From hence, as we proceed westward towards the point, we reach, after an hour's journey, the town of Beroot. This belonged to the Druzes, till lately that it was taken from them, and a Turkish garrison placed in it. Still however it continues to be the emporium of the Maronites and the Druzes, whence they export their cottons and silks, almost all of which are destined for Cairo. In return, they receive rice, tobacco, coffee, and specie, which they exchange again for the corn of the Bekaa and the Hauran. This commerce maintains near 6000 persons. The dialect of the inhabitants is justly censured as the most corrupt of any in the country: it unites in itself the 12 faults enumerated by the Arabian grammarians.—The port of Beroot, formed like all the others on the coast by a pier, is like them choked up with sand and ruins. The town is surrounded by a wall, the soft and sandy stone of which may be pierced by a cannon ball without breaking or crumbling; which was unfavourable to the Russians in their attack: but in other respects this wall, and its old towers, are defenceless. Two inconveniences will prevent Beroot from ever becoming a place of strength; for it is commanded by a chain of hills to the south-east, and is entirely destitute of water, which the women are obliged to fetch from a well at the distance of half a quarter of a league, though what they find there is but indifferent. By digging in order to form reservoirs, subterraneous ruins have been discovered; from which it appears, that the modern town is built on the ancient one. The fame may be observed of Latakia, Antioch, Tripoli, Saide, and the greater part of the towns on the coast; which has been occasioned by earthquakes that have destroyed them at different periods. We find likewise, without the walls to the west, heaps of rubith, and some shafts of columns, which indicate that Beroot has been formerly much larger than at present. The plain around it is entirely planted with white mulberry trees, which are young and flourishing; by which means the silk produced here is of the very finest quality. In descending from the mountains (says M. Volney), no prospect can be more delightful than to behold, from their summits or declivities, the rich carpet of verdure formed by the tops of these useful trees in the distant bottom of the valley. In summer, it is inconvenient to reside at Beroot on account of the heat and the warmth of the water: the town, however, is not unhealthy, though it is said to have been so formerly. It has ceased to be unhealthy since the Emir Fakr-el-din planted the wood of fir trees, which is still standing a league to the southward of the town. E. Long. 35. 38. N. Lat. 34. 18.