Portobelo

Portobelo, a decayed seaport of Colombia, on the northern shore of the Isthmus of Panama, almost due north of the town of Panama. It has an excellent harbour, discovered by Columbus in 1502, but is very unhealthy, and has fallen into decay since 1739, when it was stormed by Admiral Vernon. Drake died off here. Pop. 1300.

Porto Ferrajo

Porto Ferrajo. See Elba.

Port of Spain

Port of Spain. See Trinidad.

Porto-Maurizio

Porto-Maurizio (Mow-reetz'i-o), a town of north Italy, stands embowered in olive-groves on the Gulf of Genoa, 69 miles by rail SW. of Genoa, and 41 E. by N. of Nice. Pop. 7150.

Porto Novo

Porto Novo, (1) a small port on the Coroman-del coast of India, 145 miles S. of Madras by rail. Here, on 1st July 1781, Sir Eyre Coote, with 8000 men, defeated Hyder Ali and 60,000. Pop. 14,000. - (2) A trading station in French Guinea.

Porto Rico

Porto Rico (Ree'ko), or Puerto Rico, a fertile West India island, 75 miles E. of Hayti or St Domingo; with an area of 3530 sq. m., it measures 110 miles E. to W. by 40. It is traversed from E. to W. by ranges of mountains (El Yunque, 3670 feet). From the base of the mountains rich alluvial well-watered tracts extend to the sea; the higher parts are covered with forests. The principal crops are sugar, coffee, and rice (the food of the people); tobacco, maize, yams, bananas, plantains, and tropical fruits are also grown. Cattle and horses are fed on the lowland pastures. The exports are sugar, coffee, molasses, tobacco, and cattle. Pop. (1800) 155,400; (1864) 615, 844; (1900) 953,500. The towns are St John's (q.v.), the capital, and Ponce (28,000). Columbus discovered Porto Rico in 1493, and Ponce de Leon founded a settlement in 1510. The island was ceded by Spain to the United States after the war of 1898, and in 1900 civil government was conferred.

Portpatrick

Portpatrick, a decayed fishing-village in Wigtownshire, 7 3/4 miles SW. of Stranraer by rail, and 21 1/2 NE. of Donaghadee in Ireland. It was long the Gretna Green for Ireland, and a mail-packet station from 1662 till 1849. A pier was built in 1774, and a great artificial harbour was commenced in 1821, but ultimately abandoned, the Orion steamship having been lost within the port in 1850, when seventy souls perished. The lighthouse was removed in 1869, and the harbour-works fell quickly into ruin, after having cost £500,000. Pop. (1861) 1206; (1901) 451.

Port Phillip

Port Phillip, the gate of Melbourne, discovered in 1802 by Murray, and named after Captain Phillip, first governor of New South Wales.

Portreath

Portreath, a Cornish seaport, 4 miles NW. of Redruth.

Portree

Portree, a seaport village of Skye, on Portree Bay, 32 miles WSW. of Strome Ferry, and 120 NNW. of Oban. It got its name Port-an-righ ('king's harbour') from a visit of James V. in 1540. Pop 870.

Port Royal

Port Royal. See Jamaica.

Portmsh

Portmsh', a watering-place with excellent golfing links in County Antrim, 6 1/2 miles by rail N. of Coleraine, and 7 W. by S. of the Giants' Causeway, with which it is connected by an electric tramway (1883). Pop. 1955.