POBT SAID 319 PORTSMOUTH other Spanish explorers. Ponce de Leon occupied the island with a large military force and maintained headquarters there for ten years. The Spaniards remained in control of the island until 1898. It was visited often by pirates. San Juan was sacked in 1595 by Sir Francis Drake. Other attacks by English forces were defeated. Porto Rico was created a province of Spain in 1869, and slavery was abolished in 1873, The fortifica- tions of San Juan were bombarded by a fleet under Admiral Sampson, in July, 1898, and a military expedition under General Miles took possession without opposition. By the Treaty of Paris, in 1898, Porto Rico was ceded to the United States. With the exception of political struggles, the American administration was without important event. In 1912 laws were passed providing for sanitary reform, a bureau of labor, and the minor- ity representation. The inhabitants of Porto Rico were granted citizenship on March 2, 1917. Prohibition was voted by the people on July 16 of the same year. During 1918 officers' training camps were opened on the island and a large number of young men were trained for military service. In 1918-1919 a new election law was passed. Amend- ments were also made to the labor laws. The population of Porto Rico in 1910 was 1,118,012; in 1920, 1,297,772. The chief towns are San Juan, Ponce, and Mayaguez. PORT SAID, a town of Egypt, on the W. side of the Suez Canal, on a desolate strip of land between Lake Menzaleh and the Mediterranean. The place owes its origin to the Suez Canal, being named after Said Pasha, its promoter, and de- pends wholly on the canal trade, being mainly a coaling station for steamers. Pop. with Ismailia, about 95,000. In the World War it was a military base for operations against the Turks. PORTSMOUTH, the principal station of the British navy, a seaport, municipal and parliamentary borough of England, in Hampshire, on the S. W. extremity of the island of Portsea. It consists of the four districts, Portsmouth proper, Port- sea, Landport, and Southsea, Portsmouth proper is a garrison town. Portsea is the seat of the naval dockyard; Land- port is an artisan quarter; and Southsea on the E. side of the town of Portsmouth is a favorite seaside resort. The island of Portsea, which is separated from the mainland by a narrow creek called Portsbridge Canal, is bounded on the E. by Langston Harbor, on the W. by Ports- mouth Harbor, and on the S. by Spit- head and the Harbor Channel. The royal dockyard covers an area of about 500 acres, and is considered the largest and most magnificent establishment of the kind in the world. It includes vast store houses, containing all the materials requisite for naval architecture; ma- chine shops, with all modern appliances; extensive slips and docks, in which the largest ships of the navy are built or repaired; ranges of handsome resi- dences for the officials, and a Royal Navy College, with accommodation for 70 stu- dents. Outside the dockyard an area of 14 acres contains the gun wharf, where vast numbers of guns and other ord- nance stores are kept. Portsmouth has no manufactures of any consequence, ex- cept those immediately connected with its naval establishments, and a few large breweries. Its trade, both coasting and foreign, is of considerable extent. Of late years an extensive and systematic series of fortifications has been under construction for the complete defense of Portsmouth. They extend along a curve of about 1% miles at the N. side of Port- sea Island. A series of hills, 4 miles to the N. of Portsmouth, and commanding its front to the sea, are well fortified with strong forts. On the Gosport side a line of forts extends for 4 miles. The municipal and parliamentary borough in- cludes nearly the whole of the island of Portsea. It sends two members to the House of Commons. Pop. (1917) 178,- 327. PORTSMOUTH, a city, port of entry, and county-seat of Rockingham co., N. H., on the Piscataqua river, and the Boston and Maine railroad; 40 miles E. of Concord. The harbor is deep and commodious, and much used as a haven of refuge. Here are a United States life-saving station, a signal-service sta- tion, custom house. Children's Home, Woman's Asylum, etc. It has manufac- tories of cotton fabrics, hosiery, ale and beer, boots and shoes, carriages, copper and brass foundry products, leather, soap, gloves, etc. Here the "Peace of Portsmouth" was made when Russian and Japanese representatives, at the sug- gestion of President Roosevelt, met in conference and signed a treaty of peace in 1905, concluding the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905). Pop. (1910) 11,- 269; (1920) 13,569. PORTSMOUTH, a city and county- seat of Scioto CO., O. ; at the confluence of the Scioto and Ohio rivers, on the Ohio canal, and on the Baltimore and Ohio Southwestern, the Norfolk and Westei'n, and the Chesapeake and Ohio railroads; 114 miles S. E. of Cincinnati. It is the center and shipping port of a large mining and agricultural region. Here are a public library, United States
