[1] Port cities were the gateways through which Western economic and political influence penetrated the non-European world. Central to the position and significance of these cities was their function as ports, the interface between land and sea as well as the entrepot where intercontinental and interregional cargoes were assembled and distributed. It is well recognised that the revlutionary improvement in transport and transport facilities after 1815 was a vital ingredient in the growth and development of the world economy and, in particular, in the integration of many areas into it.Some advantages were made in the traditional stage of technology associated with the sailing ship, but it was the application of steam power to railways and navigation on inland waters and at sea that created the modern transport system characterised by dramatic falls in freight and insurance charges, increased mobility for passengers and merchandise, improved access to markets, raw materials and production areas, and a sharp quickening in the pace of communications and the making of remittances.... harbour and dock facilities had to be created to keep pace with the demands of both technological progress in steam shipping and economic growth in their hinterlands. ....