PORTSMOUTH (ante), a city in s.e. New Hampshire, incorporated 1849; previous to 1807 capital of the colony mom state, except during the revolution. It is the terminus 'of the Eastern, Concord and Portsmouth, the Portsmouth and Dover, and the Portland and Saco railroads; pop. '80, 9,732. It is nearly surrounded by water, and is connected by bridges across the Piseataqua with Kittery, Me., where is what is commonly called the Portsmouth navy-yard, and with Newcastle on Grand island. Many ships are built here for the merchant service, and the harbor is capable of accommodating 2,000 vesse.s with good anchorage, 480 having found shelter there at one time by actual coma. The depth of water varies from 35 to 75 feet. The harbor contains many small picturesque islands, and the tides and rapid current preserve it from ice and sand-bars. Forts Con stitution and MeClary having been condemned, earthworks have been erected at the e. Ode of the entrance, and on point, oa the iv. side. The city has an ancient, con servative appearance, and in summer is beautifully shaded by numerous ornamental trees; and on the hillside sloping toward the harbor are the tine old estates with large gar dens attached which give it the character for health and beauty for which it is di:;iin guished. The floating balance-dock in the navy-yard was constructed at a cost of $800,000, has 24 pumps, and 2 steam-engines. In 1090 the Falkland, 54 gnus, was constructed here by order of the British government; the America, 50 guns. in 1749, for the same power;
the Ranger, 18 guns, 1777, by order of the continental congress, of which Patti Jones was first commander—the first to elrry the stars and stripes and to receive the salute; and the America. built on Badger's island. The city has good educational advantages, a library of 11,000 volumes, and a reading-room in the athenaeum: also a cabinet of miner als and specimens of natural history. It contains a mercantile library association with, 2,000 vols. It has 6 newspapers, including the oldest newspaper in Amenca, established 1756, called The New Hampshire Gazette. Its local trade is important, and its compered considerable along the coast and with foreign ports. Among the articles of manufacture are iron castings, shoes, cod liver oil, soap, carriages, sleighs, etc. It contains the Kearsarge cotton mills, 26,000 spindles. It is well supplied with water, and has 6 banks, 4 national, with an aggregate capital of $950.000, and 2 institutions for savings, with deposits to amount o? $2,750,000, a trust and guarantee company with a capital of $200,000, 2 military companies, and a well-organized fire department. At Bye, formerly Little Harbor, is the mansion of goy. Wentworth, and near the navy-yard is the tomb of sir William perell.