PORPHYRY 



Porphyry (Gr. porphyra, purple, 

 fish). In geology, name given to 

 igneous rocks of varying com- 

 position. The famous red por- 

 phyry used by the Romans for an 

 ornamental stone is obtained from 

 quarries at Jebel Dukhan, in Egypt, 

 near the Red Sea, the site of 

 which was long lost. Cut and 

 polished, the rock shows bright red 

 or white spots on a deep red back- 

 ground, and black or dark brown 

 patches of hornblende, etc. The 

 colour of the rock is due to the 

 part conversion of the plagioclase 

 felspar into thulite and manganese 

 epidote. Granite porphyries con- 

 tain orthoclase, quartz, and mica, 

 and are generally pink to grey ; 

 while syenite porphyries are almost, 

 lacking in quartz. A green variety 

 of porphyry has a large proportion 

 of epidote and chlorite in its com- 

 position, and was often used with 

 the red porphyry as a contrasting 

 ornamental stone, especially for 

 objects of art and interior decora- 

 tions. The green variety is found 

 in Peloponnesus, and at Lambay 

 Island, near Dublin. 



Porpoise (Lat. porciu<t, hog ; 

 piscin, fish). Genus of aquatic 

 mammals belonging to the order 

 Cetacea or whale-like animals. 

 The common porpoise (Phocaena 



Belisario Porras, 

 Panama 

 man 



Porpoise. Common species, Phoeaena communis, found 

 off the coasts ol Britain 



communis) is about 5, ft. to 8 ft. 

 long, is blackish on the upper 

 parts and white below, and in 

 form resembles a miniature whale, 

 but has a more sloping head. It is 

 found in herds or schools off the 

 British, Scandinavian, and Ameri- 

 can coasts, frequently sporting on 

 the surface of the water, and 

 occasionally ascends the larger 

 rivers. It lives on fish, and does 

 damage at times to the herring and 

 mackerel fishery, besides occasion- 

 ally killing salmon. Formerly a 

 popular article of food, esteemed a 

 royal dish down to the days of 

 Queen Elizabeth, its flesh being 

 said to resemble pork, it is now 

 killed mainly for its oil, a fine 

 specimen yielding about three 

 gallons. The so-called porpoise 

 hide used for making boots and 

 laces is the product of the white 

 whale. See Mammal ; Narwhal. 



Porpora, NICCOLO ANTONIO 

 (1686-c. 1767). Italian composer 

 and music master. Born in Naples, 



Aug. 19, 1686, he there produced 

 his first opera, Basilio. For a time 

 director of the Conservatoire at 

 Vienna and master of the music to 

 the king of Poland, he composed 

 many operas, some oratorios, canta- 

 tas, masses, etc., and, in opposition 

 to Handel, conducted the opera in 

 London. His greatest successes 

 were gamed as a teacher. 



Porras, BELISARIO (b. 1856). 

 Panama statesman. Born Nov. 

 28, 1856, he was educated at 

 Bogota and 

 Brussels. From 

 law he entered 

 politics, repre- 

 sented Colom- 

 bia in Belgium 

 and Italy, and 

 on the forma- 

 tion of the 

 Panama re- 

 public in 1903, 

 bee ame its 

 minister in 

 Brazil. Delegate to the third Pan- 

 American Congress, he became 

 president of Panama, 1912-16, re- 

 presented the republic in the 

 U.S.A., and in Aug., 1920. again 

 became president. 



Porridge. Farinaceous dish 

 made with various meals such as 

 lentils and hominy, but more 

 especially with 

 oatmeal. A good 

 way to make 

 porridge is to soak 

 the oatmeal in 

 cold water over- 

 night, and in the 

 morning to strain 

 off the water, boil 

 it, and add the 

 moistened o a t- 

 meal. It will then 

 require about twenty minutes' 

 gentle cooking with stirring all the 

 time. About 4 oz. of oatmeal will 

 go to a pint and a half of water. 

 A little salt should be added. The 

 word is a corruption of pottage, 

 Fr. potage, soup cooked in a pot. 



Porsanger. Fiord penetrating 

 the N. coast of Finmark, Norway. 

 It runs S. from the island of 

 Magero, S.E. of the North Cape. 

 Its length is about 80 m. and its 

 average width 10 m. 



Porsena OR PORSENNA, LARS. 

 King of Clusium in Etruria. Ac- 

 cording to the Roman legend, he 

 led his army against Rome to 

 restore to his throne the exiled 

 Tarquin. An attempt to storm the 

 city was defeated by the valour of 

 HoratiusCocles(g.t).). Porsena now 

 establishing a blockade of the 

 city, a young Roman, C. Mucius 

 Scaevola, entered his camp and 

 attempted to murder him. Seized 

 and tortured, Scaevola (q.v. ) dis- 

 played such astonishing fortitude 



Richard Porson, 

 English- scholar 



that Porsena abandoned the siege 

 and made terms wit]} the Romans. 

 Modern historical research has pro- 

 nounced this legend a fabrication 

 to conceal the complete defeat of 

 the Romans by the Etruscans. 



Porson, RICHARD (1759-1808) 

 English scholar. Born at East 

 Ruston, Norfolk, Dec. 25. 1759. 

 the son of a 

 parish clerk, 

 his unusual 

 gifts, especially 

 his marvellous 

 memory, a t- 

 tracted atten- 

 t i o n. and 

 through the 

 good offices of 

 John Norris, of 

 Witton Park, 

 he was sent to Eton, whence he 

 proceeded to Trinity College, Cam- 

 bridge, where he had a brilliant 

 career ending with election to a 

 fellowship. Declining to take 

 orders within the specified time, 

 Porson lost his fellowship in 1792, 

 but friends provided a fund to 

 enable him to continue his studies 

 at the Temple. In the same year, 

 however, he was elected regius 

 professor of Greek at Cambridge, 

 but continued to live in the Temple, 

 and in 1806 he was made librarian 

 of the London Institution. He 

 died Sept. 25, 1808. Porson ac- 

 complished comparatively little, 

 owing to his indolent disposition 

 and intemperate habits. Among 

 his works are editions of Aeschylus 

 and of some of the plays of 

 Euripides. In the acuteness of his 

 textual criticism he has had few 

 equals. See Life, J. S.Watson, 1861. 



Porson Prize. Annual prize 

 awarded to undergraduates of 

 Cambridge University for the best 

 translation of a passage of English 

 poetry into Greek verse. Founded 

 in honour of Richard Porson, it 

 was first awarded in 1817, and can 

 be won more than once by the 

 same person. 



Port. Abbrev. for seaport, and 

 as such used for Liverpool, London, 

 and other seaports. Strictly the 

 port is only that part of the place 

 which is devoted to ships and ship- 

 ping, and is under a separate port 

 authority. This use accounts for 

 the presence of the word in many 

 place - names, e.g. Portsmouth. 

 The term portreeve was used in 

 past days for the official, akin to 

 the sheriff, who looked after the 

 affairs of a port for the king. (See 

 Docks ; Harbour ; London, Port of. ) 

 .' In nautical language port is 

 the left-hand side of a ship when 

 looking f orward. Port tack is when 

 a ship is making a leg with the 

 wind blowing on her port-side. 

 See Navigation. 



