Page:Collier's New Encyclopedia v. 07.djvu/389

LEFT POBTUGUESE EAST AFBICA 321 POSIEDON both his crown and life in the struggle. Henry the Cardinal, his uncle, an old man of 70, ascended the throne, but died without heirs, after a reign of only two years, in 1580. With Henry terminated the male line, after enduring for 460 years. Spain once more laid claim to the vacant throne, and Portugal again became a de- pendency of the Spanish crown, the na- tion suffering all the injustice, exactions, and tyranny usually inflicted on a con- quered country by its haughty masters. After enduring 60 years of intolerable hardships and exactions, a Portuguese nobleman named John, Duke of Bra- ganza, pitying his unfortunate country- men, excited a revolution, which again broke the Spanish fetters, while the people hailed their deliverer as their king, who, being crowned as John IV., commenced the dynasty of the House of Braganza, a family whose descendants held sway until the Republic. When Napoleon, in 1807, entered the country, and declared the family of Braganza had ceased to reign, the royal family of Por- tugal, and all the court, set sail from the Tagus to Brazil. After the downfall of Napoleon, the history of Portugal is composed of a long succession of political disturbances. At the death of Queen Maria da Gloria her eldest son ascended the throne, in 1853, as Pedro V., and died prematurely in 1861, leaving the throne to Louis I., second son of Dona Maria. In October, 1889, Carlos I., his son, succeeded to the throne. His reign created great discontent and on Feb. 1, 1908, the King and Crown Prince were assassinated. The second son was raised to the throne as Manuel II., but was deposed in the revolution of Oct. 1910, when a republic was proclaimed under Theo. Braga. The republic was formed in September, 1911, with Dr. Arriaga as President. Shortly after the outbreak of the World War in 1914, Por- tugal took sides with England and aided in the South African campaign. PORTUGUESE EAST AFRICA OR MOZAMBIQUE, a possession of Portu- gal on the E. coast of Africa, having an area of 293,400 square miles and popu- lation of about 4,000,000. Almost all of the inhabitants belong to the Bantu race, although in the southern portion there are a number of Zulus. The colony is rich in mineral resources, but because of the tropical and unfavorable climate, as well as the bad transportation facilities these have been little developed. The chief mineral deposits are coal, iron and gold and thus far have been exploited rnostly by British subjects. The prin- cipal products are cocoanuts, bananas. indigo, coflFee, and rubber. Three porta do almost all the export and import trade, the coast affording but few har- bors. The capital is Louren^o Marques with a population app. 10,000. PORTUGUESE GUINEA, a possession of Portugal on the E. coast of Africa, with an area of about 14,000 miles and a population of about 800,000. Portuguese authority is respected only in the coast towns, the interior of the colony being largely unexplored. The coast affords several harbors, but because of strong currents navigation is dangerous. The climate is very hot and unhealthy. The commerce, which is controlled by the French, consists in the exporting of ivory, wax, and rubber, and the import- ing of manufactured goods. The forests contain a number of valuable woods, and the chief crops of the province are rice and millet. The capital is Bulama, situ- ated on the island of the same name. This town divides the commerce with Bissao and Cacheo. PORTULACA, purslane; the typical genus of the Portulacacege; low, succu- lent herbs with flat or cylindrical leaves, and yellow, purplish, or rose-colored ephemeral flowers. Known species be- tween 30 and 40; most of them from the warmer parts of America. P. oleracea is the common purslane. It is a low, succulent annual, often eaten by the Hin- dus as a potherb. P. quadrifida, also In- dian, is eaten and considered cooling by the natives. The fresh leaves of both species are used as an external applica- tion in erysipelas, etc., and an infusion of them as a diuretic. PORTULACACE^ or PORTULA- CEJE, purslanes; an order of hypo- gynous exogens, alliance Silenales. Suc- culent herbs or shrubs, generally with alternate, entire leaves; axillary or terminal flowers, which expand only in bright sunshine. Sepals two; petals five, distinct, or joined into a tube; stamens varying in number; carpels three or more; ovary and capsule one-celled, the latter dehiscing transversely, or by valves (Lindley). Known genera 15, species 125 (Sir Joseph Hooker). PORTUMNUS, or PORTUNUS. the Roman god of harbors. The Portum- nalia were yearly celebrated in his honor. POSE, in heraldry, a term applied to a lion, horse, etc., represented standing still, with all his feet on the ground; statant. POSEIDON, the Greek god of the sea, identified by the Romans with the Ital- ian deity Neptunus. A son of Kronos and Rhea, and hence a brother of Zeus,