[PORT AMHERST, a bay on the s. e. coast of Nova Scotia, s. w. of Port Roseway, and 17 miles n. e. of Cape Sable.]

[PORT ANGEL, a harbour on the w. coast of Mexico, about half-way between St. Pedro and Compostella. It is a broad and open bay, having good anchorage, but bad landing. Lat. 13° 32′ n. long. 97° 4' w.]

[PORT ANTONIO, in the n. e. part of the island of Jamaica, lies w. by n. of the n. c. point; having Fort George and Navy Island on the w. and Wood's Island e. It is capable of holding a large fleet; and if it were fortified and accommodated for refitting ships of war, would be of great importance, as it is only 36 leagues w. of Cape Tiburon, in St. Domingo, and opens directly into the Windward Passage. The town of Titchfield lies on this bay.]

[PORT AU PRINCE, a jurisdiction and seaport, at the head of the Great Bay or Bight of Leogane, in the w. part of the island of St. Domingo. The town, which is seated on the head of the bay, is the seat of the French government in the time of peace, and a place of considerable trade. Though singularly favoured with the e. winds, it was long the tomb of the unhappy Europeans, in consequence of the difficulty of obtaining good water. By the exertions of M. de Marbois, who resided here about five years, in constructing fountains, public basins, and airy prisons, the place has become far more healthy

and desirable.

The jurisdiction contains six parishes, and its exports, from January 1, 1789, to December 31, of the same year, were as follow: 2,497,321 lbs. white sugar; 44,716,225 lbs. brown sugar; 17,829,424 lbs. coffee; 1,878,999 lbs. cotton; 137,951 lbs. indigo; other articles, as hides, molasses, spirits, &c. to the value of 8,2484 livres. The total value of duties on the above articles on exportation was 189,945 dollars, 46 cents. This fine town was nearly burnt down by the revolting negroes, in November and December, 1791.

It is only fit for a shipping-place for the produce of the adjacent country, and for that of the rich plains of the Cul de Sac to the n. The island of Gonave to the w. would enable a squadron to block up the port. The line of communication between Port au Prince and the town of St. Domingo, is by the ponds, and through the towns of Neybe, Azua, Bani, &c. The distance from Port au Prince to St. Domingo City is 142 miles e. Port au Prince is 19 miles e. of the

town of Leogane, and about 90 s. s. e. from Port de Paix. Lat. 18° 31' 30" n. long. 72° 19' w.]

[PORT BANKS, on the n. w. coast of N. America, lies s. e. of Pitt's Island, and n. w. of Point Bukarelli.]

[PORT CABANAS, on the n. side of the Island of Cuba, lies e. by n. of Bahia Hondu, and w. of Port Mariel.]

[PORT DAUPHIN, a bay on the e. coast of Cape Breton Island, about 18 leagues s. by w. of Cape Raye in Newfoundland.]

[PORT DE PAIX, or Paz, a jurisdiction and sea-port, on the n. side of the island of St. Domingo, towards the w. end, and opposite the island of Tortue, seven miles distant. The jurisdiction contains seven parishes; the exports from which, from January 1, 1789, to December 31, of the same year, were as follow: 331,900 lbs. white sugar; 515,500 lbs. brown sugar; 1,957,618 lbs. coffee; 35,154 lbs. cotton; 29,181 lbs. indigo. The duties on exportation of the above amounted to 9,407 dollars, 60 cents. It is 54 miles n. of St. Marcos, 39 e. of the Mole, and 33 w. of Cape François. Lat. 19° 54′ n. long. 72° 46′ 30′′ w.]

[PORT DE LA CHAUDIERE, on the s. coast of the island of St. Domingo, lies at the e. entrance of the Bay of Ocoa, which is 18 leagues w. by s. of the city of St. Domingo. This port is large, open, and deep enough to admit vessels of any burden.]

[PORT DESIRE, a harbour on the e. coast of Patagonia, S. America, where vessels sometimes touch in their passage to the S. Sea. It is about 150 miles n. e. of Port St. Julian. Lat. 47° 6' s.]

[PORT DU PRINCE, a town on the n. coast of the Island of Cuba, having a good harbour. The town stands in a large meadow, where the Spaniards feed numerous herds of cattle.]

[PORT EGMONT, on the n. coast of the w. of the Falkland Isles, and towards the w. end of that coast. It is one of the most extensive and commodious harbours in the world; so that it has been asserted, that the whole navy of Great Britain might ride securely in it. Commodore Byron discovered this excellent harbour in 1775, on being sent to take possession of the islands for the British government.]

[PORT JULIAN, or PORT ST. JULIAN, a harbour on the e. coast of Patagonia, in S. America, 104 miles s. by w. of Port Descado. It has a free and open entrance, and salt is found near it. The continent is not above 100 leagues broad here. Besides salt ponds, here are plenty of wild cattle,

horses, Peruvian sheep, and wild dogs, but the water is bad. Lat. 49° 10' s. long. 67° 45' w.]

[PORT MARQUIS, a harbour on the coast of Mexico, in the N. Pacific Ocean, three miles e. of Acapulco, where ships from Peru frequently land their contraband goods. Lat. 17° 27′ n. long. 102° 26' w.]

[PORT PAIX. See PORT DE PAIX.] [PORT OF SPAIN, the capital of the Island of Trinidad, in the W. Indies, situated on the w. side of the island. See TRINIDAD.]

[PORTA MARIA, in the n. e. part of the Island of Jamaica, s. e. from Gallina Point.] [PORTA Port, on the n. w. side of the island of Newfoundland; the s. entrance into which is 10 or 12 leagues from Cape St. George.]

PORTAGE, a river of the province and government of Luisiana; which rises from a small lake near the Lake Misigan, runs s. e. and enters the river St. Croix.

[PORTAGE, Point, on the e. coast of New Brunswick, and in the s. w. part of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, forms the n. limit of Miramichy Bay, as Point Ecoumenac does the s.]

PORTAGES, a sea-port of Nova Scotia; at the entrance of the Bay of Fundy.

PORTAHUELO, a small port of the S. Sea; in the coast of the province and corregimiento of Truxillo and kingdom of Peru; near the settlement of Moche.

PORTAIL, a port of the s. coast of Lake Superior in Canada; between the river Hicamepeque and the Bay of Grandes Sables.

PORTALES, a settlement of the province and government of Santa Marta in the Nuevo Reyno de Granada: on the coast on the shore of the Bay of Zinto, near Cape San Juan de Guia.

PORTE, a settlement of the province and captainship of Paraiba in Brazil: on the shore of the River Aracay, near the coast.

PORTE-NEUVE, an island of the N. Sea, near the coast of Nova Scotia.

PORTEE GRAND, a settlement of the province and colony of Virginia; on the shore of the river Ohio.

[PORTER, a lake of Nova Scotia, which empties itself into the ocean; five leagues e. of Halifax. It is 15 miles in length, and half a mile in width, with islands in it.T

[PORTERFIELD, a small settlement in York County, district of Maine.]

[PORTERO, a river of Peru, which empties itself into the sea at the City of Baldivia.]

- PORTETE, a sea-port in the province and government of the Rio del Hacha, in the Nuevo Reyno de Granada: situate to e. of Cape la Vela, and w. of that of Chichibacoa.

PORTETE, another port, in the province and kingdom of Tierra Firme, on the side of the mouth of the river Chagre; at the back of the point which this forms, and where there is a castle.

PORTETE, another, of the n. coast of the province and government of Costarica and kingdom of Guatemala; between the river Las Suerte and that of La Concepcion.

[PORTLAND, a post-town and port of entry,' in Cumberland County, district of Maine. It is the capital of the district, and is situated on a promontory in Casco Bay, and was formerly a part of Falmouth. It is 32 miles s. by w. of Wiscasset, 88 n. by e. of Boston. In July, 1786, this part of the town, being the most populous and mercantile, and situated on the harbour, together with the islands which belong to Falmouth, was incorporated by the name of Portland. It has a most excellent, safe, and capacious harbour, which is seldom or never completely frozen over. It is near the main ocean, and is easy of access. The inhabitants carry on a considerable foreign trade, build ships, and are largely concerned in the fishery. It is one of the most thriving commercial towns in the commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Although three-fourths of it was laid in ashes by the British fleet in 1775, it has since been entirely rebuilt, and contains about 2300 inhabitants. Among its public buildings are three churches, two for Congregationalists, and one for Episcopalians, and a handsome court-house. A light-house was erected in 1790, on a point of land called Portland Head, at the entrance of the harbour. It is a stone edifice, 72 feet high, exclusive of the lanthorn, and stands in lat. 430 47 n. and long. 70° 10' 30" . The following directions are to be observed in coming into the harbour. Bring the light to bearn. n. w. thep run for it, allowing a small distance on the larboard hand; and when a-breast of the same, then n. by w. This course will give good anchorage from half a mile to a mile and a half. No variation of the compass is allowed. The works erected in 1795, for the defence of Portland, consist of a fort, a citadel, a battery for 10 pieces of cannon, an artillery-store, a guardhouse, an air furnace for heating shot, and a covered way from the fort to the battery.]

[PORTLAND Head, in Casco Bay, in the district of Maine, the promontory on which the light-house above described stands. From the light-house to Alden's Ledge is four leagues s. s.e. High water in Portland harbour, at full and change, and 45 minutes after 10 o'clock. See PORTLAND.]

[PORTLAND Point, on the s. coast of the Island of Jamaica, and the most s. land in it, lies in lat. 17° 44' n. and long. 77° 5' w.

[PORTLOCK'S Harbour, on the n. w. coast of N. America, has a narrow entrance compared with its circular form within. The middle of the entrance lies in lat. 57° 43′ 30′′ and long. 136° 42' 30" w.

PORTO, a settlement of the province and captainship of Ilheos in Brazil; on the shore of the river Ilheos, on the coast and at the mouth of the river Santa Cruz.

[PORTO DEL PRINCIPE, a sea-port on the n. coast of the island of Cuba, 300 miles s. e. of the Havannah, and 186 n. w. of Baracoa. It was formerly a large and rich town, but being taken by Captain Morgan, with his buccaneers, after a stout resistance, it never recovered itself. Near it are several springs of bitumen.]

[PORTO RICO, one of the W. Indian isles. See PUERTO Rico.]

[PORTO SANTO, a port situate in the mouth of the river of its name, on the coast of Peru, n. of Point Ferol, and 15 miles s. e. of Cape de Chao, or Chau, and in lat. 8° 58′ 30′′ s.]

PORTOBELLO, a city and sea-port of the kingdom of Tierra Firme, on the declivity of a mountain surrounding the port. The greater part of the houses are of wood; although there be some which have the first body of stone: they are all large, and amount to about 130, which run in one long street; this being intersected, however, with some other houses, and there being also some scattered about the mountain. It has two squares, one in front of the custom-house, which is of stone, and another opposite the parish church also of stone, and which is large, prettily adorned, and served by a parochial curate and other priests. There are other two churches, one which is a convent of the monks of La Merced, and another of those of San Juan de Dios, having under their charge the hospital; but both these are poor and small, and nearly in a state of complete ruin.

At the e. extremity of the city, and in the road which leads to Panamá, is a place called Guinea; this being where the Negroes dwell, as well the

bondmen as the slaves of both sexes; and this spot was, during the trade carried on by the galleons, very thickly inhabited; inasmuch as it was resorted to by the greater part of the neighbourhood, in order to let out their houses to the people of the galleons, and by the many artisans who came down from Panamá.

This city, which is but poorly inhabited, was in the time of the galleons one of the most populous in the world; for its situation upon an isthmus of the two seas, the n. and s. the goodness of its port, and its vicinity to Panamá, gave it the preference of all the other settlements of America for the celebration of the richest fair in the universe, and which was carried on nearly every year by the Spanish merchants of Spain and Peru. Immediately on the arrival at Panamá of the fleet of Peru with its riches, the gal. leons of Cartagena dropped down to Portobello; not doing it sooner in order to avoid many inconveniences, such as sickness and the exorbitant expences which arose from the vast concourse of people which used to assemble on the occasion; when a moderate sized parlour and bed would cost 1000 dollars, and the houses let for 5000 or 6000. Scarcely did the sailors bring their vessels to anchor, but they formed with sails a large booth in the square of the town, where to disembark and lodge cargoes; each one recognizing his own effects by his mark. At the same time was to be seen the arrival of large mule-droves of 100 mules each, loaded with chests of gold and silver from Peru: some of these would lodge their valuable burdens in the custom-house, others in the square; and it was, indeed, well worthy of admiration to see with what little disorder and confusion every thing was conducted amongst so great a diversity of men and characters; robbery, murders, or any other less serious disturbances being entirely unknown on these occasions. -Again, the spectator who had just before been considering Portobello in a poor, unpeopled state, without a ship in its port, and breathing nothing but misery and wretchedness, would remain thunderstruck at beholding the strange alteration which takes place at the time of this fair. Now he would see the houses crowded with people, the square and the streets crammed with chests of gold and silver, and the port covered with vessels; some of these having brought by the river Chagre from Panamá the effects of Peru, such as cacao, bark, vicuña wool, Bezoa stone, and other productions of those provinces. He would see others bringing provisions from

Cartagena; and he would reflect that, however detestable might be its climate, this city was the emporium of the riches of the two worlds, and the most considerable commercial depôt that was ever known.

Scarcely have the merchants of Spain disembarked their merchandise, and those of Peru, attended by the president of Panamá, arrived with their riches, than the general of the galleons and the deputies of the two trading parties proceed to regulate the prices of all the articles; and this being once published nothing will alter. Thus the sales and exchanges used to be made in the course of 60 days, the time of the duration of the fair; during which period the vessels laden with the newly purchased Spanish goods would proceed up the river Chagre, the same kind of articles being carried by land to Panamá; and the European merchants would begin to put a-board the treasures of America: the city at the end of the aforesaid period remaining in the same deplorable state as before.

This port was discovered by Admiral Don Christóval Columbus in 1502; who, observing it to be so large, deep, and well sheltered, gave it the name of Puertobelo. Its entrance, though three-quarters of a mile in width, was well defended by the castle of San Felipe de Todo Fierro, situate on the n. part; for the s. part being full of rocks, vessels were under a necessity of passing between these and the aforesaid fort, where there is from 9 to 15 feet water. But in the s. part also, at the distance of 200 toises from the city, was another large castle, called De Santiago de la Gloria; and opposite the city another castle, with the name of San Geronimo; all which were built by the celebrated engineer Juan Baptista Antoneli, by order of Philip II., and which were destroyed by the English admiral Vernon in 1742, who took the city.

To the n. w. of the city is a small bay, called La Caldera, sheltered from every wind, and excellent for careening vessels. Amongst the mountains which surround the port from the castle of Todo Fierro, as far as the opposite part, is one very peculiar, not only on account of its height, but as being the barometer of the country, and as announcing all the changes of the seasons it is called Capira, and is in the interior of the port, and in the road which leads to Panamá its top is perpetually covered with a very thick cloud, and they have a saying here of "calarse el gorro Capira," (Capira has put on his night-cap); since, when the cloud descends

VOL. IV.

lower than ordinary, it is a certain indication of a storm: indeed this occurs almost daily, and the top of the mountain is scarcely ever visible or uncloudy. The climate of this city is bad in the extreme, for the heat is excessive; and this is encreased by its peculiarity of situation, as being hemmed in on all sides by a lofty mountain, such as will not admit of a free passage for the air.Again, the trees are so thick they will not permit the rays of the sun to penetrate the ground, and they, of course, prevent this from being ever sufficiently dried, although they admit the exudation of sufficient vapours to condense into clouds, and form deluging rains. Scarcely are these over, than the activity of the sun dries up such parts of the ground as lie exposed and uncovered by trees, and the atmosphere becomes again subject to strong exhalations: let then the sun but disappear, and it immediately rains again; and thus it is that, day and night, the heat is always the same and undiminished. These showers sometimes come accompanied with such tempests of thunder and lightning as to cause a general alarm; and the terrifying peal will be prolonged in sullen echo through the caverns of the mountains, and followed up with the outrageous chattering of monkies of a thousand kinds which dwell therein.

This continual intemperate state of the atmosphere, united to the fatigues and labours of the mariners, causes them to have a debilitating sweat; and to recover their strength they have recourse to brandy, of which there is an extraordinary consumption; and this spirit, together with the excess of toil; in short a constant state of intoxication, and the natural malignity of the climate, ruin the best constitutions, and breed the most ruinous disorders. Thus the number of inhabitants of Portobello is extremely small, and the greater part is of Negroes and Mulattoes, the whites being very few.

The provisions are scarce and dear, particu larly so at the time of the fairs, though plenty were then brought from Panámá and Cartagena. The only eatable abounding here is fish, which is of excellent quality and of all sorts. Water flows down in streams from the mountains; some passing without the city, and others through it; and although the qualities of being light and easy to pass would render it estimable in any other place, in this country, destined to be unfortu nate, and in which even what is good degenerates into evil, the circumstance of its subtilty and digestive powers is attended with the pro

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