PUERTO RICO, or PORTO RICO, an island of the West Indies, belonging to Spain, is the smallest of the Greater Antilles [Arteuxes], and the most western of the LEEWARD ISLANDS. It lies between 17° 55' and 18° 30' N. lat., 39' and 67° 11' W. long. ; and is bounded N. by the Atlantic, W. by the Mona Passage about 75 miles wide, which separates it from Sau Domingo, S. by the Caribbean Sea, and E. by the Virgin Islands. The island is in the form of a parallelo gram, 100 miles long and 90 miles broad, and it contains about 3800 square miles. The population iu 1849 was 288,000.
A. range of mountains of considerable height runs through the centre of the island ; the highest summit is that of Languillo in the north-east, which is 3678 feet above the level of the sea. Towards the south and east the mountains descend with rather a steep slope to the sea. On the north and west the descent is much less rapid, and there is a plain from five to ten miles wide.between the sea and the base of the mountains, From the central chain many inferior ridges run north and south, containing between them valleys of great fertility. The valleys on the north side produce the beat pasturage; those of the south grow most sugar. The coast abounds with harbours : those on the north coast are generally unsafe during the prevalence of the northerly winds, in consequence of the heavy surf which then rolls in upon the shore. The same cause creates bars at the mouths of the rivers on the north coast. The port of San Juan is however perfectly sheltered by the narrow island on which the town and fortress stand. Aguadilla is an open roadstead at the north-west extremity of the island and much exposed, but from its position and the abundant supply of provisions and water which it affords, it is much visited. It was here that Columbus effected his first landing on Puerto Rico. The ports of Ouanics and Heves, on the south coast are very large, afford excellent anchorage, and are easily defended. In the port of Guaniea vessels drawiug 21 feet of water may enter with perfect safety, and anchor close to the shore.
Few countries are so well watered by rivers as Puerto Rico. Seven teen rivers rising in the central chain run into the sea on the north coast. Of these Manati, Loisa, Trabajo, and Arecibo are deep and broad; and though there are bars at their mouths, small vessels with cargoes can safely cross them at high water. Some of the rivers on the north-west, unable from the accumulation of sand at their mouths to discharge rapidly the great quantity of water which they bring down from the mountains, have formed a series of lagoons along the coast, some of which are 8 or 10 miles long. These lagoons have been connected by artificial canals, and form a very convenient manna of communication along this part of the coast. Nine rivers fall lute the sea on the east coast, sixteen on the south, and three ou the west. These rivers are well stocked with fish. Duriug the last thirty years mauy good roads have been -constructed and bridges built. The principal roads are from San Juan to Aguadilla and alayagues, from Ponce to Guayama, and from Faxardo to the capital. The greater number of bridges are of wool, but several are of stone.
The climate of Puerto Rico seems to be more favourable to Europeans than that of most of the other islands of the West Indies. The maximum height of the thermometer is stated to be 92° Fehr. in the month of August, and the minimum SO• in December, taken at noon There are two rainy seasons : the first commences in May and lasts about twenty days. The second is in September, when the rain pours down in such torrents, that in a few hours from the commence ment of the rain the rivers have overflowed, and the low lands are completely Inundated. August is the hottest month, and the most sickly for Europeans. The heat is then suffocating, the sea-brceao has died away into a calm, only occasionally broken by a faint breeze, and the night brings no relief, for there Is no land-wind. In October the weather become. much cooler. In November the north and north-east winds set in, and blow till January, during which months the weather is occasionally cool.