Rico, Spanish West Indies

Pop coast of Porto Rico, Spani ulation, about 30,000 (?). Ponce de Leon (pon thā dā lā-on'), Juan. Born in Aragon about 1460: died in Cuba, 1521. A Spanish soldier, conqueror of Porto Rico and discoverer of Florida. He first went to America with Columbus in 1493; under Ovando was governor of Higuay, or the eastern part of Española; and in 1508 pa ed over to Porto Rico. In 1510 he was empowered to conquer Porto Rico, of which he was made governor; later went to Spain, where (Feb. 23, 1512) he received a grant to discover and settle the island of Bimini (the mythical region in which report located the fountain of youth). The explorer sailed from Porto Rico in March, with 3 caravels. Pa ing the Caicos and other islands, he discovered the mainland March 27, coasted northward to lat. 30° 8', landed, and on on April 8 (Pascua Florida or Easter Sunday) took po e ion of the country for the King of Spain, calling it Florida. Thence he turned southward, rounded Cape Sable, and ran up the western coast to lat. 27° 30', finally returning to Porto Rico in Sept. On Feb. 27, 1514, he received, in Spain, a grant to settle "the Islland of Bimini and the Island of Florida"; but, being occupied with Indian wars in Porto Rico, he was unable to attempt the enterprise until March, 1521. He then sailed with a large number of colonists, but was attacked by Indians and forced to retreat after he had himself received from an Indian arrow the wound of which he died. There are indications from maps, but no positive proofs, that Florida was known before 1513. Poncelet (pons-lā'), Jean Victor. Born at Metz, July 1, 1788: died at Paris, Dec. 22, 1867. A French geometer and military engineer, inventor of Poncelot's hydraulic wheels. His works include "Traité des propriétés projectives des figures" (1823), "Cours de mécanique appliquée aux machines" (1826), etc. He became a brigadier-general, and in 1848 was appointed commander of the national guard of the department of the Seine. Ponchielli (pon-ke-el'lē), Amilcare. Born at Cremona, Sept. 1, 1834: died Jan. 16, 1886. An Italian composer. Among his operas are "I prome i Sposi" (1856), "Le due Gemelle," a ballet (1873), "I Lituani" (1874), "Gioconda" (1876), "Il figliuol prodigo" (1880), "Marion Delorme" (1885), etc. Pond (pond), John. Born at London, 1767: died at Black heath, Sept. 7, 1836. An English astronomer. In 1811 he succeeded Dr. N. Maskelyne as astronomer royal. He published a star catalogue in 1833. Pond i cherry, or Pondicherri (pon-di-sher'i), F. Pondichéry (pôn-de-shā-re'), Indian Pudic her i. The capital of French India, situated on the eastern coast in lat. 11° 56′ N., long. 79° 50′ E. It has considerable commerce. It was occupied by the French about 1672; was several times con quered and temporarily held by the British; but was finally restored in 1816. It the chief place a small district. Population (1888), 41,253. Population of French India, 280,303. rente-Inférieure, western France, situated on the Seugne 32 miles southeast of Rochefort. Population (1891), commune, 4,615. Pons Milvius (ponz mil'vi-us). In ancient geography, a bridge that cro ed the Tiber, on the Flam in i an Way, about 2 miles from Rome. It is noted for the victory gained in its neighborhood, Oct. 28, 312, by Const an tine over Maxentius. The bridge broke down under the latter as he sought to escape by it with his routed troops, and he perished. Ponta Delgada (pon'tä del-gä'dä). The chief town of the island of San Miguel, Azores, situated on the southwestern coast. Population (1890), 16,767. Pont-à-Mou on (pont'ä-mö-son'). A town in the department of Meurthe-et-Moselle, France, situated on the Moselle 17 miles north by west of Nancy. Population (1891), commune, 11,595, Pontarlier (pon-tär-lya'). A town in the department of Doubs, France, situated on the Doubs 29 miles southeast of Besançon. It suf. fered in the wars of the middle ages and in the Thirty Years' War. Population (1891), commune, 7,187. Pont as sieve (pon-täs-se-a've). A town in the province of Florence, Italy, situated at the junction of the Sieve with the Arno, 9 miles east of Florence. Population (1881), 4,127; com mune, 11,410. Pont-Audemer (pont-ōd-mar'). A town in the department of Eure, France, situated on the Rille 18 miles southeast of Havre. Population (1891), commune, 6,084. Pont chart rain (pon-chär-tran'), Lake. Alake in southeastern Louisiana, situated north of New Orleans. It is connected by the Rigolets with Lake Borgne and the Gulf of Mexico. Length, 40 miles. Greatest width, about 25 miles. Pont du Gard. See Gard, Pont du. Ponte. Sce Ba ano and Da Ponte . Pontecorvo (pon-te-kōr'võ). A town in the province of Caserta, Italy, situated on the Garigliano 53 miles northwest of Naples. It was formerly the seat of a principality, the property of Bernadotte 1806-10. Population (1881), 9,601; commune, 10,309, Pontedera (pon-te-dā'rä). A town in the province of Pisa, Italy, situated at the junction of the Era with the Arno, 13 miles east by south of Pisa. Population (1881), 8,695; commune, tract.] 11,817. Pontefract (pon'ti-frakt, colloquially and generally pom'frot), or Pomfret. [See the extract.] A town in the West Riding of Yorkshire, England, 12 miles southeast of Leeds. It contains a ruined castle, the scene of Richard II.'s murder in 1399, taken and dismantled by the Parliamentarians in 1649. Population (1891), 9,702. It was probably from a broken Roman bridge, the remains of which seem to have been visible in the time of Leland, that the town of Pontefract, in Yorkshire ( pons fractus), derived its name.