EGYPT. 



.399 



Commerce. 



SutUties. launched out in pursuit of new countries and new com- 

 V ~^Y~' merce. Being small, and the sailors unacquainted with 

 the principles of general navigation, they were obliged 

 to sail along the coasts, and move cautiously from one 

 point to another, seldom or never losing sight of land. 

 But with all these disadvantages, they made consider- 

 able advances in trade and riches. Moving along the 

 coast of Africa, they darted over to Madagascar ; and 

 some of them entering the Persian Gulf, conveyed their 

 goods by the Euphrates to the Persians and other peo- 

 ple of these regions. Some penetrated to the mouths 

 of the Indus, visited the coast of Malabar, and reached 

 the Island of Ceylon. There were a few who passed 

 over to the coast of Coromaudel, and reached the Gan- 

 ges. 



These Egyptian adventurers exported to India silver 

 and iron, copper and lead, together with some kinds of 

 glass. They also furnished them with woollen goods 

 and other articles of inferior importance. And in re- 

 turn brought from India ivory and ebony, silks, and 

 printed or stained linens, pearls, and precious stones, 

 cinnamon and nutmegs, frankincense and diverse valu- 

 able perfumes. To facilitate the conveyance of that 

 merchandise to Alexandria, a canal was cut, from the 

 Red Sea to one of the branches of the Nile ; but when 

 that enterprize was unsuccessful, the goods were landed 

 at the port of Berenice, and conveyed from thence 

 across the country to the Nile. To accommodate the 

 travellers and caravans, wells were dug, and resting 

 places provided by royal munificence. By caravans, 

 the different countries of Africa threw die riches of 

 their trade into Egypt, and Alexandria became the 

 most valuable centre of merchandise in the world. It 

 was owing to the riches derived from this traffic, that 

 the sovereigns of Egypt maintained their greatness 

 aniulst so many indiscretions, and that Cleopatra, when 

 the empire was shaken to its foundations, was still able 

 to be so splendid and profuse. 



Every nation that enjoyed the means of commerce 

 with the Mediterranean, derived pleasure as well as 

 profit from the inerchandi.se of India, and, by tr.-uling 

 at Alexandria, added to the wealth and iin]H>rtnnce of 

 Egypt. When Carth.ige was destroyed, and Corinth 

 was no more in its glory, Egypt increased its means of 

 accumulation, and supplied the whole Mediterranean 

 by its own shipping. Koine became a favoured nation, 

 and while it supplied the increased luxuries of the state 

 from the jiorts of Egypt, it afforded a source of wealth 

 to the Ptolcmian princes, by its great consumption of 

 the merchandize and luxuries which were brought from 

 India. When the Romans became masters of Egypt, 

 the country continued to flourish in trade; but the Ko- 

 in.-iiis, being warriors rather than merchants, were not 

 calculated to promote the commercial prosperity of 

 pt 



In the process of time, Egypt was subdued by the 

 Saracens ; and the particular circumstances of their em- 

 pire occasioned an extension of the trade with India. 

 A communication was opened between that country 

 and Constantinople, by in. MM- of the rivers Indus anil 

 Oxus, in connection with the Caspian and Euxine 

 The trade which was formerly carried on through the 

 Persian Gulf and the Euphrates, was afterwards con- 

 veyed by Palmyra to the Syrian coast. It was this 

 trade, perhaps, which raised Palmyra to so much splen- 

 dour, though situated in a desert ; and when circum- 

 stances occasioned its ruin, the trade of the Persian 

 Gulf was conveyed by Aleppo to Constantinople. Since 

 the discovery of the Cape of Good Hope, the Indian 



trade with Egypt is considerably diminished ; but per- Statistics. 

 haps it might have been more attended to, if Egypt ~~" 

 had not become a province of an overgrown but feeble ' 

 and degraded empire. It still carries on a trade with 

 India, and the goods are landed at Suez or Cossir, and 

 conveyed from thence to Grand Cairo, and other parts 

 of the country. Various caravans convey passengers 

 and goods from Fez, Tunis, and Algiers, as well as 

 from other parts of Africa; and the caravans, which 

 carry pilgrims to Mecca, are also employed in the mer- 

 chandize of India and Arabia. If Egypt were under 

 the influence of a well-regulated government, it would 

 become a nation of high importance, both in point of 

 agriculture and the arts ; as well as a place of com- 

 merce, well fitted to hold communication with all pla- 

 ces of the world. In its present circumstances, its trade 

 is much interrupted ; but when the Mediterranean is 

 open for commerce, it exports many valuable articles, 

 not only to Constantinople, the coast of Barbary, and 

 other places belonging to the Grand Signior, but also 

 to Venice, Marseilles, and Great Britain. Among these 

 articles may be comprehended Mokah coffee, myrrh, 

 various kinds of gum, cinnamon, with a great variety 

 of drugs, mother-of-pearl, dates, opium, frankincense, 

 and rice ; to which may be added, linen clothes, buf- 

 falo and ox hides, and camels skins. From the same 

 or similar parts, they receive woollen clothes, both su- 

 perfine and common ; iron and lead, together with va- 

 rious articles of cutlery and sharp-edged tools. Silks 

 are even imported into Egypt of a different kind from 

 what is manufactured among themselves, and printed 

 cottons of showy patterns ; to which may be added, 

 tobacco, copper, quicksilver, and, in short, every arti- 

 cle of the arts, which the ingenuity of other nations 

 have produced. 



The villages of Egypt pay a fixed revenue to the 

 Grand Signior ; and the lands were formerly let for 

 life, upon condition of providing annually a certain 

 number of soldiers. These were obliged to arrange 

 themselves under the banners of the provincial gover- 

 nor, who, on that account, was called the Sangiacs, and 

 the number of the troops was varied as circumstances re- 

 quired. Now this undefined manner of providing sol- 

 diers is abolished ; and the country at large is obliged 

 to supply the Grand Signior annually with 8000 troops, 

 if required. Another branch of revenue to the court 

 of Constantinople is the custom-houses, which are esta- 

 blished in various parts of Egypt ; and the last source 

 of income is the capitation-tax upon all those resident 

 people who are not Mussulmans, and that tix is called 

 harach. The present situation of Egypt, in these re- 

 spects cannot be explained. It has scarcely recovered 

 it-elf from the threatening influence which the beys 

 had acquired, and from the shock which was given it 

 by the French invasion. The feeble authority of the 

 Porte over its distant provinces, is not calculated either 

 to make them productive or happy ; but we believe 

 Egypt has improved of late, in obedience to the orders 

 of the Grand Signior, and, if well managed, is able to 

 yield a considerable revenue. 



The earliest form of government,' which we find p ormo f,. 

 amongst the Egyptians, was strictly monarchical : and vcnunent. 

 appears to have been as unlimited as any before or 

 since that time. We are not to enter upon a discus- 

 sion of the advantages or disadvantages <>;' the various 

 modes of government, which have had their times and 

 their changes among the natiotis of the world. We be- 

 lieve that in this, as well as in every other respect, ex- 

 tremes are dangerous; and it seems to require no pro*?'. 



