​PONCE, a seaport and the second largest city of Porto Rico,the seat of government of the Department of Ponce, on thesouth coast, about 50 m. (84 m. by the military road) S.W. of SanJuan. Pop. (1899), 27,952, of whom 2554 were negroes and9942 of mixed races; (1910), 35,027. It is served by the AmericanRailroad of Porto Rico, by a railway to Guayama (1910), and bysteamboats from numerous ports; an old military road connectsit with San Juan. Ponce consists of two parts: Ponce, or thecity proper, and Ponce Playa, or the seaport; they are separatedby the Portuguese River and are connected by an electric streetrailway. Ponce Playa is on a spacious bay and is accessible tovessels drawing 25 ft. of water; Ponce is 2 m. inland at theinterior margin of a beautiful plain, with hills in the rear risingto a height of 1000 to 2000 ft. The city is supplied with waterby an aqueduct about 2 m. long. There are two attractivepublic squares in the heart of the city: Plaza Principal and Plazade las Delicias. Among prominent public buildings are thecity hall, the custom-house, the Pearl theatre, several churches—RomanCatholic (including a finely decorated cathedral) andProtestant; St Luke’s hospital and insane asylum, an asylumfor the blind, a ladies’ asylum, a home for the indigent andaged, and a military barracks. At the Quintana Baths near thecity are thermal springs with medicinal properties. Thesurrounding country is devoted chiefly to the cultivation ofsugar cane, tobacco, oranges and cacao, and to the grazing ofcattle. Among the manufactures are sugar, molasses, rum,and ice, and prepared coffee for the market. Ponce, named inhonour of Ponce de Leon, was founded in 1752 upon the site ofa settlement which had been established in the preceding century,was incorporated as a town in 1848, and was made a city in1878.