Portendick is an abandoned coastal city in western

Mauritania Mauritania, officially the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, is a sovereign country in Maghreb, Northwest Africa. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Western Sahara to Mauritania–Western Sahara border, the north and northwest, ...

. The name is a corruption of the Portuguese name Porto d'Arco. It was located in the Ouad Naga Department of

Trarza Region Trarza () is a region in southwest Mauritania. Its capital is Rosso. Other major cities and towns include Mederdra and Boutilimit. Trarza borders the regions of Inchiri and Adrar to the north, Brakna to the east, and the country of Senegal to ...

. Founded by the Dutch in 1721 after the French capture of

Arguin Arguin ( : ''Arghīn''; ) is an island off the western coast of Mauritania in the Bay of Arguin. It is approximately in size, with extensive and dangerous reefs around it. The island is now part of the Banc d'Arguin National Park. History Th ...

, Portendick was a significant port for the

gum arabic Gum arabic (gum acacia, gum sudani, Senegal gum and by other names) () is a tree gum exuded by two species of '' Acacia sensu lato:'' '' Senegalia senegal,'' and '' Vachellia seyal.'' However, the term "gum arabic" does not indicate a partic ...

trade. It was the site of a major battle during the

Char Bouba war The Char Bouba war (variously transliterated as Sharr Bubba, Shar Buba), also known as the Mauritanian Thirty Years' War or the Marabout War, took place between 1644 and 1674 in the tribal areas of what is today Mauritania and Western Sahara as w ...

between

Arab Arabs (, , ; , , ) are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in West Asia and North Africa. A significant Arab diaspora is present in various parts of the world. Arabs have been in the Fertile Crescent for thousands of years ...

Hassan and

Berber Berber or Berbers may refer to: Ethnic group * Berbers, an ethnic group native to Northern Africa * Berber languages, a family of Afro-Asiatic languages Places * Berber, Sudan, a town on the Nile People with the surname * Ady Berber (1913–196 ...

Zawaya The Zawaya are tribes in the southern Sahara who have traditionally followed a deeply religious way of life. They accepted a subordinate position to the warrior tribes, whether Arab or Berber, who had little interest in spreading Islam. The Zaway ...

tribes. By the 19th century, however, trade from the port had massively declined. The advancing desert had moved the ''

acacia senegal ''Senegalia senegal'' (also known as ''Acacia senegal'') is a small thorny deciduous tree from the genus ''Senegalia'', which is known by several common names, including gum acacia, gum arabic tree, Sudan gum and Sudan gum arabic. In parts of In ...

'' groves far to the south, closer to the commercial outlet of Saint-Louis on the

Senegal river The Senegal River ( or "Senegal" - compound of the Serer term "Seen" or "Sene" or "Sen" (from Roog Seen, Supreme Deity in Serer religion) and "O Gal" (meaning "body of water")); , , , ) is a river in West Africa; much of its length mark ...

. The area's arid, desert climate and lack of drinking water, a natural harbor, or a trading post contributed to the decline. Nevertheless

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

traders would still purchase gum there, particularly when France and the

Emirate of Trarza The Emirate of Trarza (arabic: إمارة ترارزة) was a pre-colonial state in what is today southwest Mauritania. It has survived as a traditional confederation of semi-nomadic people to the present day. Its name is shared with the modern ...

were at war. In 1825 they formed the English Company of Portendick to formalize tax payments to the Emir. The French blockaded the port for a year in 1835, during another conflict with the Trarza, capturing several British merchant vessels. As of 1916, all that remained of the city was a small group of huts.

Notes

References

* {{Cite journal, doi = 10.3726/84520_75, volume = 7, last1 = Koltermann, first1 = Till, last2 = Rebstock, first2 = Ulrich, title = Die ältesten arabischen Briefe der Emire von Trarza (Mauretanien) : Dokumente der maurischen Bündnispolitik mit Holland und England 1721-1782, journal = Zeitschrift für Weltgeschichte 7 (2006), S. 5108, date = 2006-01-01 Former populated places in Mauritania Trarza region