Portabella
Published in Walsh in 1715.
Interpreted by Tom Cook in 1979.
Proper duple minor longways dance.
Recording: portabella-_066-bn9sr12.mp3.zip
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-Xrd-9_rtk
A1 M1 followed by W1 cast down, round C2 (who may dance up, then down again) and back to place. A2 M2 followed by W2 cast up, round C1 (who may dance down, then up again) and back to place. (The original uses W1 to lead the A2 figure. Also only C1 in B.) B1 All set to partner, and turn single; Two hand turn partner. B2 C1 cross and go below, while C2 change places and lead up; C2 cast down and cross up while C1 cross up and cast down (1/2 figure eights).
Portobelo in Panama was the principal Spanish conduit for Peruvian silver in
the Caribbean. Populous and bustling, it was highly coveted and was also the
site of a sixty-day annual fair. Despite the heavy fortifications the Spanish built
to defend it, Portobelo was frequently attacked by English pirates, includ-
ing the notorious Henry Morgan, as well as the British Navy. Edward Vernon
(1684-1757) scored a notable victory for England at Portobelo in 1739—
hence the naming of the Portobello Road in London, as well as the Portobello
section of Edinburgh-but the British never secured a foothold there.
the Spanish sought out less exposed routes and ports for the transport of their silver.
Sheet music: