Constantino,. 231 



The fifth line is from Timbuctoo and Arowan, in a northerly direc- 

 tion, to Fez, Tlemsen, and Oran. This caravan is laden with all the 

 choicest productions of Meli, Ouanquarah, Joliba, Jeune, Sego, 

 Sausarding, Yamina, and Bamakou. It passes through Tafeclata in 

 the course of its journey. 



These caravans, which are composed each of 800 to 2000 camels, 

 perform upwards of sixteen or seventeen journeys between the 

 months of September and June. The total amount of these expedi- 

 tions is 22,000 to 25,000 camels laden with merchandise, each camel 

 bearing 400lbs. weight of goods, besides his food, water, and the 

 rider. Thus, in going and returning, there are employed annually 

 in those seventeen expeditions, from 45,000 to 50,000 camels laden 

 with goods, and from 18,000,000 to 20,000,0001bs. of merchandise 

 destined for export or import from Central Africa. 



Of these 22,000 to 25,000 camels, both going and returning, upwards 

 of 6500 to 7000 are bound for Egypt: they belong to the caravans 

 of Darfour and Ouaday: 4000 to 4500 "more are destined for 

 Tripoli and the various sea-ports on the Gulf of Syr tis; and about 

 3500 to 4000 are intended for Tunis and Constantina, from which 

 latter place Algiers and Bona are supplied. This forms the total 

 amount of the caravans on the third and fourth line. 



The caravans bound for the south are more heavily laden than 

 those that return from that quarter; but the latter are the wealthier. 

 The former are chiefly charged with grain and convertibles for the 

 oases in the immediate vicinity of their line of march. Those cara- 

 vans which return from the south are enriched by upwards of 

 80,000 black slaves of every age and of both sexes, and by 4000 

 camels or horses, besides 50,000 ounces of gold dust. 



The value of the merchandise imported from Central to Northern 

 Africa and to the western provinces by the ports of the Senegal, 

 annually amounts to upwards of 3,200,000/. ; and the value of the 

 exports from the Mediterranean shores, the Senegal, and the gulphs 

 of Benin and Biafra, amounts to 2,8CO,000/. 



To arrive at a just estimate of the value of the burdens of the 

 camels that are bound from the south to the north, we must first set 

 apart the actual worth of the slaves, the animals brought back, and 

 the gold dust, which last article only requires the services of ten 

 camels. 



The actual worth, then, would amount to - - - 1,680,000 



The^expenses incidental to, and the profits of the 



"caravans .-._. 400,000 



European trade at the Senegal - - 320,000 



2,400,000 



There therefore remains for the value of 20,000 to 

 25,000 camels, that have carried convertibles and J 

 water for the slaves and the animals brought 



from the south 800,000 



The worth of a "camel, therefore, bound for the north, would 

 amount to about 32/. sterling. This would be subject to a con- 

 siderable and evident augmentation during a journey to the south. 



