PORTSMOUTH. 



PORTUGAL. 



210 



chapel. Besides extensive storehouses for hemp, cordage, canvasst 

 sails, blocks, masts, rigging, and other requisites for naval architecture 

 and outfit, it contains a rope-work and sail-lofts, a smithery, an iron- 

 mill, a copper-sheathing foundry, an anchor forge, with Nasmyth's 

 huge steam-hammer, and the remarkable block-machinery invented by 

 the late Sir Mark Brunei. Forty-four block-making machines, impelled 

 by a steam-engine, are arranged in three sets for blocks of different 

 sizes. Receiving the rough timber, they cut it up, shape, and bore it, 

 and continue the process till the block is complete. In the centre of 

 the wharf-wall is the entrance to the great basin, which has an area of 

 24 acres, and four dry docks attached, with an additional dry dock on 

 each side, all capable of receiving the largest vessels. There is besides 

 a double-dock for frigates. For the building of vessels there are six 

 lips, two for ships of the first class. The Victoria steam-basin, lately 

 formed at the north end of the dockyard, is 3000 feet in length. A 

 range of engineers' shops, provided with every mechanical aid, occupies 

 the western side of the basin. Close to the dockyard on the south is 

 the Gun-wharf, with various ranges of building for ordnance stores. 

 Guns of every calibre, with immense pyramids of shot adapted to 

 them, occupy a spacious area of 14 acres. An ornamental building, 

 called the Small Arms Armoury, contains upwards of 20,000 stand of 

 arms for sea service. The Royal Victualling Yard at Weovi], and 

 Hailar Hospital for sick and wounded seamen, are noticed under 

 GOSPORT. The harbour is crossed every half-hour by a floating steam- 

 bridge, which plies between Gosport and a suburb called the Point on 

 the west side of Portsmouth. A small bay called the Camber, ex- 

 tending between the Point and the Gun-wharf, forms the harbour for 

 merchant shipping. It is lined by an excellent quay, at which large 

 vessels load and unload. The Victoria and Albert piers, two hand- 

 some erections, afford additional accommodation. An inland navigation 

 proceeding by the channel at the north end of Portsea Island to the 

 Portsmouth and Anmdel Canal, and continued by the Amu and Wey 

 Junction Canal and the river Wey to the Thames, connects Portsmouth 

 with London. The South Western railway, which has its terminus 

 at Gosport, and the Brighton and South Coast railway, which has its 

 terminus at Portsea, connect Portsmouth by land with the metropolis. 

 A short line running along the northern margin of the harbour unites 

 the two railways. Steam-pockets ply several times a day between 

 Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight, and there is a regular communica- 

 tion by steamers with London, Southampton, Plymouth, Liverpool, 

 Dublin, and Havre. The trade of Portsmouth depends on the dock- 

 yard and other public establishments. Great numbers of persons, 

 especially females, are employed in Portsea and Landport, in the 

 manufacture of articles of outfit for seamen. There are extensive 

 market-garden* in the neighbourhood. 



In the town and suburb* are several Urge breweries. The coasting 

 trade of the port is extensive. Coals ire largely imported. Cattle and 

 sheep are brought from the Isle of Wight and the west of England. 

 Large quantities of corn and provisions are brought from Ireland. 

 Egg* are imported from Prance. Timber and wine are the chief 

 articles of foreign trade. The ships registered as belonging to the 

 port in 1853 were: Under 50 tons, 170 sailing-vessels of 4221 tons, 

 and 4 steam-vessels of 142 tons; above 50 tons, 74 nailing-vessels of 

 8335 too*, and 3 steam-vessels of 180 tons. During 1853 there entered 

 the port, in the coasting trade 1353 sailing-vessels of 116,019 tons, and 

 38 steam-vessel* of 12,235 tons; there cleared 866 sailing-vessels of 

 39,253 tons, and 75 steam-Tenets of 15,781 tons. In the colonial 

 trade there entered 37 sailing-vewels of 6902 tons, and cleared 19 

 vessels of 3001 ton*. In the foreign trade there entered 74 British 

 Teasels of 4140 tons, and 85 foreign vessels of 82S5 tons ; and there 

 cleared 27 Brituth vessels of 1848 tons, and 76 foreign vessels of 6305 

 tons. A three days' fair is held on Portsdown Hill in the month of 

 July. The market-days are Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. 



Besides the fortifications of the town* of Portsmouth and Portsea, 

 the island of Portsea, has strong defence*. Southsea Castle, built by 

 Henry VIII., and greatly strengthened in 1850, is mounted with 

 heavy cannon. Beyond the castle are two fort* named Lumps and 

 Eastney, and on the extreme point of the island, commanding the 

 entrance to Langston harbour, is Fort Cumberland, a very strong 

 defence, commenced in 1746, but only brought into an efficient state 

 in 1820. It receive* 3000 men, and mounts 100 heavy guns. The 

 approach to Portsmouth on the land side is defended by a strong lino 

 of fortification on Portsdown Hill, a long ridge lying north of the 

 island ; by lines carried along the bank of the channel which separates 

 the Uland, from the mainland ; and by other works at Hilsea, four miles 

 from the town. 



The excellence of the harbour seems to have attracted the notice of 

 the Romans, who had a station at Porchester, on the northern shore, 

 where there are still Roman remains. [HAMPSHIRE.] Portsmouth 

 was a naval station in the reign of John. In the time of Richard II. 

 it was burned by the French. Fortifications begun by Edward IV. were 

 completed by Henry VIII., in whose reign Portsmouth was the principal 

 station of the English navy. In the reign* of Charles II., William III., 

 and George III., the defences were very much extended. They have 

 been of late largely added to and considerably strengthened, and are 

 believed to be impregnable. The moaU, which are deep and wide, 

 can be fill. .1 f r ,,m the sea. 



PORTSMOUTH, f.s. [Xnr HA*raum; OHIO.] 



0100. BIT. TOL. IV. 



PORTSOY. [BANPFSHIRE.] 



PORTUGAL, KINGDOM OF, is the most westerly kingdom of 

 Europe. It forms part of the Spanish Peninsula, and is not divided 

 from Spain by any well-defined natural boundaries. Most of the great 

 rivers of Portugal the Jlinho, the Douro, the Tejo (Tagus), and the 

 Gnadiana have their sources in Spain, and belong to Portugal only 

 in the lower part of their basins. The Mondego, the Zezere, and the 

 Sado are the only considerable rivers which have their sources and 

 their whole courses within the limits of Portugal. Portugal is 

 bounded N. by the Spanish province of Galicia ; E. by the Spanish 

 provinces of Leon, Estremadura, and Sevilla ; and S. and W. by the 

 Atlantic Ocean. The greatest length from north to south is about 350 

 miles ; the average width from west to east is about 100 miles. The 

 area is 35,189 square miles. The population in 1851 was 3,487,025. 

 The political divisions, with the area and population of each, are as 

 follows : 



In addition to the above political divisions, each of the sub- 

 provinces, or districts, is subdivi ded into comarcas (or judiciary divi- 

 sions), canoelhos (or communal divisions), and parishes, all of \vhi< h 

 are enumerated under the names of the respective provinces. The 

 total number of comarcas is 111 ; of cancelhos, 379 ; of parishes, 3774. 



Colonial Poaeaioru. The separation of Brazil from its connection 

 with the mother-country deprived Portugal of its most important 

 colony. The dependencies which it still retains are as follows : The 

 AZORES: area, 1145 square miles; population (1851), 234,044. 

 MADEIRA, with Porto Santo: area, 334 square miles; population 

 (1851), 108,439. CAPE VERD ISLANDS: area, 1642 square miles; 

 population (1851), 86,640. The islands of Santo Thime and Do Prin- 

 cipe, in the Gulf of Guinea: area, 453 square miles ; population (1851), 

 14,5-0. MACAO: area, 12 square miles; population (1851), 29,587. 

 The other dependencies comprise establishments on the continent of 

 Africa, namely, on the coasts of Guinea, Angola, Eenguela, and 

 Mozambique ; in Hindustan, at Goa, Diu, and Damaun ; on the islands 

 of Timor, Solor, Ac. 



C'aatt. The length of the coast-line of Portugal is about 500 miles, 

 of which about 400 miles face the west, and 100 miles the south. 

 The lofty precipice of Cape St. Vincent forms the south-western 

 angle, and the coasts for some distance both to the east and north arc 

 rocky, high, and steep. Farther to the east the shores become low, 

 and are bordered with small sandy island*, one of which forms Cape 

 Santa Maria, the most southern point of Portugal. Cape St. Vincent 

 is the chief termination of the Serra de Monchique, and as the coast 

 extends northward other portions of that mountain range advance to 

 the sea, and render the chores bold and rugged, though they are not 

 high ; they become low and level as they approach the great lagune of 

 Setubal. This lagune is overlooked on the north-west by the Serra da 

 Arrabida, which has an elevation of 1760 feet, and terminates at Cape 

 Espichel, which is 660 feet high. The shores again sink down as they 

 approach the south side of the restuary of the Tagtis; but on the 

 other side, north and west of Lisbon, the mountain ridges of Cintra, 

 Mafra, Torres Vcdiw, and others, with their intervening valleys, fill 



