PORTEOUS RIOTS 



PORTER 



PORT ELIZABETH 



Scale of Feet. 



Port Elizabeth, South Africa. 



Plan of the central district of the seaport on 

 Algoa Bay 



century plans were put forward for 

 an elaborate harbour. The manu- 

 factures include boots, flour, jam, 

 etc. It is important, too, as an 

 ostrich market, as here the feathers 

 and wool are sold. 



About 2 m. W. is the seaside 

 resort of Humewood. Port Eliza- 

 beth, frequently called Algoa Bay, 

 was originally Fort Frederick, a 

 fort erected to guard the road- 

 stead, and named after Frederick, 

 duke of York. In 1820 it was set- 

 tled by a number of British immi- 

 grants, and the 

 townwaslaidout, 

 beingnamed after 

 Elizabeth, the 

 wife of Sir Ruf anc 

 Donkin, then 

 governor of the 

 Cape. It was 

 made a borough 

 in 1836. Pop. 

 37,000,abouthalf 

 whites. 



Porteous 

 Riots. Two 



affrays between 

 the Edinburgh 

 populace and the 



city guard in 1736. At the execu- 

 tion on April 14 of a smuggler 

 named Wilson, who had robbed the 

 Pittenweem custom house, the 

 crowd assaulted the guard, which, 

 led by its captain, | 

 John Porteous, I 

 opened fire, kill- 

 ing five or six 

 persons. Porteous 

 was convicted of 

 murder but re- 

 spited, and the 

 citizens dragged 



him from the Tolbooth prison and 

 hanged him in the Grass Market on 

 Sept. 7. None of the rioters, who 

 were protected by influential people, 

 were arrested. The Lords demanded 

 severe penalties for the disaffected 

 city, which were reduced by the 

 Commons to the dismissal of the 

 provost and a payment to Por- 

 teous' s widow. Scott described the 

 affair in The Heart of Midlothian. 



Porter. Word used in two 

 senses: (1) From Fr. porter, to 

 carry, one who carries parcels, 

 boxes, etc., e.g. a rly. porter whose 

 primary duty is handling goods in 

 transit ; (2) from Lat. portarius, 

 Fr. portier, a door or gate keeper, 

 e.g. hall-porter. 



Porter. Dark, bitter beer, 

 brewed from browned malt, con- 

 taining from four to six p.c. of 

 alcohol. It was largely drunk by 

 market porters in the 18th century, 

 and was so named about 1750. 

 See Brewing. 



Porter, DAVID DIXON (1813-91). 

 American sailor. Born at Chester, 



Port Elizabeth. South end viewed from the lighthouse. Top, public library 

 and 8. Mary's Church. Centre, Market Square and Main Street looking north 



Pennsylvania, June 8, 1813. he 

 first served under his father, 

 Admiral David Porter, in the 

 Mexican navy, but in 1829 en- 

 tered the U.S. service, in which he 

 became lieutenant in 1841. At the 

 outbreak of the Civil War he was 

 sent to relieve Pensacola, and 

 earned rapid promotion. By a 

 daring and well -executed action he 

 opened the 

 Mississippi for 

 Farragut to 

 capture New 

 Orleans, 1862. 

 In command 

 of t h e Missis- 

 sippi squad- 

 ron, he took 

 part in the 

 operations at 

 Arkansas Post 

 andVicksburg, 

 and in 1863 was promoted rear- 

 admiral, receiving the thanks of 

 Congress for his services. The fol- 

 lowing year he commanded the N. 

 Atlantic blockading squadron, con- 

 cluding his war services with the 

 capture of Port Fisher, Jan. 15, 

 1865. In 1870, after the death of 

 Farragut, he was promoted to the 

 rank of admiral. He died at 

 Washington, Feb. 13, 1891. 



David D. Porter, 

 American sailor 



