DAiCAR — WHITTLESEY 405 



same time. Ports 60 to 120 kilometers upstream at navigation head 

 on the Southern Rivers are close to the fields ; but ships cannot take on 

 full loads because of shallow bars across the river mouths. They must 

 therefore call also at the peninsula to complete lading from stores 

 sent down by rail. At Rufisque lighterage subjects the crop to dam- 

 age. Kaolack, the only accessible river port on a railroad (a branch 

 of the state-owned line), has the advantage of Dakar in mileage and, 

 formerly, also in rates. Since purchase by the state of the Dakar- 

 Saint-Louis line in 1932, the rates are proportionate to the mileage, and 

 Dakar has increased its shipments. Nevertheless, Kaolack continues 

 to lead in exports of peanuts, shipping nearly half the crop of the 

 western AOF. 



Recently the North Jetty has been tied to the base of Point Bel Air, 

 and dredgings have added a triangle of 15 hectares with 600 meters of 

 harbor front. This land, christened "Peanut Plain," is served by rails. 

 Ships can be loaded alongside, as well as in mid-harbor. Peanuts are 

 loaded by hand, because the bulk of the crop arrives in bags. These 

 facilities have freed the older port for general business. A half mole 

 has been affixed to the South Jetty, increasing wharfage in that section. 



The first business of the port is fueling ships in transit. This is now 

 handled alongside and by lighters just inside the North Jetty. Coal 

 is brought by ships from Europe coming for peanuts, and the coaling 

 mole and basin, equipped with cranes and pontoon derricks, are next 

 to the area where peanuts are loaded. Diesel and oil-burning ships 

 have caused coal imports to fall off and petroleum to rise more than 

 correspondingly. The end of the jetty is piped for petroleum, which 

 is also available by lighter. During the rainy season, business with the 

 hinterland ebbs — exports practically cease. At this season the backlog 

 of shipping in transit keeps the port going. To increase the business, 

 the harbor has been continuously dredged deeper since 1924. The 

 fueling area is now S^/o fathoms deep; alongside some moles are 5 

 fathoms of water, at others 4^. 



Recent port statistics for Dakar are not available. About 1933 or 

 1934 more than a million tons of merchandise (exclusive of bunkerage 

 fuel) was carried on 2,250 ships. Passengers numbered 15,000 en- 

 tering and leaving. The chief commodities imported were petroleum 

 and coal, 612,000 tons and 213,000 tons respectively (including bunk- 

 erage) ; in foodstuffs, rice led with 16,000 tons, followed by wheat, 

 sugar, and wines. Of exports, peanuts were far in the lead with 

 310,000 metric tons, followed by gum arable (4,000 tons) and sisal. 



THE "AFRICAN GIBRALTAR" 



The improvements have increased the value of the port as a naval 

 base, particularly for submarines. In 1938 work was set afoot to make 



