, who are chosen by the holders of ancient burgages, the majority of which are the property of the earl of Beverley. As there are few houses, the elections of magistrates as well as of members are held under a large tree.a market-town in the hundred of Beer, in the county of Dorset, 112 miles from London. Near it is a hill, which was formerly a Roman encampment, and where is annually held one of the largest fairs in the west of England, during two weeks in September. The inhabitants amounted in 1801 to 936, in 1811 to 953, and in 1821 to 1080.

BEERING'S or Behring's Island, an island in the Beering's Northern Pacific Ocean, which some geographers place in the Aleutian chain. It extends 104 miles in length by fifteen in breadth, and is mountainous and sterile. This island is mostly frequented by vessels engaged in the fur trade, and is of dangerous access, having only two bays, which are shallow, and exposed to the north winds. The surrounding seas formerly abounded in whales, phoece, and multitudes of sea-otters and other animals. But most of these animals have been greatly diminished, owing to the avidity with which they have been pursued. This island was first discovered in 1740 or 1741 by Beering, a commodore in the Russian service. It is distant 192 miles north-east of the harbour of St Peter and St Paul in Kamtschatka.

Beering's or Behring's Straits, the narrow sea between the west coast of North America and the east coast of Asia, so named from Captain Beering, who, with Tshirikow sailed from Kamtschatka, on a voyage of discovery to the New World. They both discovered land near the north-west coast of America; and more recently the near approach of the American and Asiatic shores, the general bearing of which has since been ascertained by Captain Cook and other navigators. These straits, in lat. 66. N., are 13 leagues wide, beyond which they diverge to the north-east by east and west-north-west; and in lat. 59. N. they are about 100 leagues across. The depth of water in the middle varies from 20 to 30 fathoms.