PORT ELIZABETH. 263 PORTER. lie buildings, auj large commercial houses. Tbere are also a college and other schools, and a botani- cal garden, the latter irrigated from the city's water supply, which is brought over an aqueduct 28 miles long. The location of Port Elizabeth midway between Cape Town and Durban, and at the nearest point on the coast from Kimberlcy, with which it is connected by a railroad, gives the town great commercial advantages. Its har- bor, partly sheltered by the cape, is being fur- ther improved by great engineering works. The imports in 1898 were valued at .$30,355,500, and the exports, chief of which were gold, diamonds, wool, ostrich feathers, and hides, amounted to $10,220,580. Population, in 1891, 23,266. PORTEOUS RIOT. An uprising in Edin- burgh on the night of September 7, 1736. John Porteus. captain of the city guard of Edinburgh, was hated by the populace, and when on April 14, 1736, he superintended the execution of an Edin- burgh merchant, Andrew Wilson, who had robbed a custom-house, disturbances were feared, espe- cially since the sympathy of the people was with smugglers and their allies. The mob remained quiet until Wilson was dead and then began to throw stones. Porteous, without any warning, ordered his soldiers to fir6 into the crowd and did likewise himself. Six or seven persons were killed and twenty wounded. Porteous was brought to trial, found guilty, and condemned to death. He, however, petitioned the Government and a reprieve was granted. This aroused the . people and some men in disguise forced the jail on the night of September 7th, took out Porteous and hanged him. As a result a bill was passed by Parliament which disqualified the provost of JMiiiburgh from holding any Government oiBee in the future, and fined the city £2000 for the benefit of the widow of Porteous. The partici- pants in this riot were never discovered, but it was believed that people of high social and offi- cial standing were connected with it. The plot of Sir Walter Scott's Heart of ilidloihian turns upon some of the supposed happenings of the Porteous riot. PORTER. See Beeb. POR'TER, Alexander (1786-1844). An American jurist, who remodeled the jurispru- dence of Louisiana. He was born near Armagh, Ireland, came to America in 1801, was admitted to the bar in Nashville. Tenn., in 1807, and, re- moving to Saint Martinsville, La., became a member of the Constitutional Convention in 1811, His greatest labor was as judge of the Supreme Court of the State (1821-33), when he helped in the establishment of a new legal code. He was a Whig Senator (1834-37). a friend of the United States Bank scheme and of Texan independence, an advocate of the division of surplus revenues among the States, and an opponent of the aboli- tion of slavery in the District of Columbia. Ec- elected to the Senate in 1843, he served until his death. PORTER, Bex.tamix C. (1843—). An Amer- ican portrait and fisrure painter. He was born in IMelrose, ilass.. Au^mst 27. 1843. From 1872 to 1881 he studied at different times in Europe, espe- cially in Venice and Paris. Porter at first devoted himself to figure painting, but of late years has chiefly painted portraits. In 1880 he became Na- tional Academician, and took studios in New York City and Boston. His best works include: "Henry V. and the Princess Kate" (1868); '■Cupid with Butterflies" (1874); "Portrait of Lady with Dog" (1876); and "Portrait of Boy with Dog" (1884). Porter's pictures are always agreeable in color, and he has a good sense of composition. In 1900 he won a medal at the Paris exhibition. PORTER, Ch.rles T. (1826—). An Ameri- can mechanical engineer. He was born at Au- burn, N. Y., graduated at Hamilton College in 1845, practiced law for several years, and then became an engineer, forming a partnership with .John F. Allen to control the Porter-Allen engine. This firm was the first to use with success high rotative speed in stationary engines. Porter was the inventor of a central counterpoise governor for steam engines (1859) and of an isochronous centrifugal governor for marine engines (1861), and the author of Mechanics and Faith, Spiritual Truths in Xature (18S5). PORTER, David (1780-1843). A distin- guished American naval officer. He was bom in Boston, and was the son of a naval officer in the Revolution. In 1798, after some experience on merchant vessels, in the course of which he w-as twice impressed by the British, but each time escaped, he entered the navy as a midshipman. In the following year he served on board the Con- stellation in her fight with the French frigate L'Insurgente. Being made a lieutenant in the fol- lowing year, he served in the war with Tripoli, and in 1803 was captured with the Philadelphia, and remained a prisoner until peace was made. During the first year of the War of 1812, as commander of the frigate Essex, 32 guns, he cap- tured several English merchant vessels, a trans- port, and the corvette Alert, 20 guns. In the following February he entered the Pacific, and for almost a year preyed with great success upon the English whale-shipping in that ocean. On this cruise he was accompanied by young David G. Farragut (q.v.), whom he had adopted in 1809. After inflicting much damage upon the enemy, the Essex was blockaded in the port of Valparaiso by two English vessels, the Pha-he, of 36 guns, and the Cherub, of 20 gims. Porter offered to fight either singly, but as this offer was refused, he made an attempt on the 28th of JIareh to get to sea. with the result that in doubling a head- land his vessel was struck by a squall, which carried away her foretopmast and drowned sev- eral of her crew. Porter then returned to the harbor and anchored his vessel less than three miles from the town and only half a mile from the shore. Here, disregarding the rules of neu- trality, the British attacked her. and after a bloody and unequal conflict of two hours and a half forced her to surrender. Despite the loss of his vessel, however. Porter was upon his return home received vith great honors. His career after the close of the war was a varied one. In 1824. being now a commodore, he was sent in charge of an expedition against the West Indian pirates. In the performance of this duty he compelled the Spanish authorities at Fajardo. Porto Rico, to render an apology for an insult to his flag; for this action he was after- wards court-martialed, and on the ground that he had exceeded his authority he was suspended from the service for six months. Disgusted with this treatment, he resigned, and entered the Mexi- can na^^ as rear-admiral. He remained in this
