Portsmouth Point by Thomas Rowlandson (etching) 1811. Portsmouth Point, or &quot;Spice Island&quot;, is part of Old Portsmouth in Portsmouth, Hampshire, on the southern coast of England. The name Spice Island comes from the area&#x27;s seedy reputation: it was here men were press-ganged into Nelson&#x27;s navy, for its hostelries and for being where prostitutes plied their trade. It was known as the &quot;Spice of Life&quot;.