A. D. 1797. 433 



Egypt ftill preferves fo much of the advantage, derived from its 

 iituation, as to be the chief feat of the trade of all the eaftern parts of 

 Africa ; and confequently its trade is carried on partly by the Mediter- 

 ranean fea in the ports of Alexandria and Damiatt, partly by the Red 

 fca in the ports of Coflir and Suez, and partly by caravans, the trade of 

 which has been juft now defcribed. 



At this time the imports at Alexandria and Damiatt were — timber 

 for building houfes and veflels ; broad cloth, of which about 800 bales 

 were annually imported, till the prefent war reduced the quantity ; cop- 

 per ; manufadures of copper, brafs, and iron ; fwords ; fire arms ; 

 white flaves of both fexes from Conftantinople ; oil, Tunifian red caps^ 

 and fine flannels, from Tunis and Tripoly ; cotton, raw filk, filk man- 

 ufadures, foap, tobacco, and glafs beads, from Syria. The imports by 

 the Red fea confift of coffee, odours, and drugs, from Arabia ; flaves 

 from Habefli (or Abyfllnia) ; fpiceries, muflins, and other cotton goods, 

 Calhmirian fliawls, &c. from Surat. 



The exports of Egypt are — black flaves, chiefly eunuchs; great quant- 

 ities of coftee, and a few Indian goods to Conftantinople ; grain, and 

 money, to Arabia ; money only, to Surat ; rice in great quantities, flax, 

 leather, and fometimes wheat, to Syria ; natron *, an article ufed in 

 the manufadure of glafs, moftly to Marfeille, and to the amount of 

 3,500 to 4,000 tuns annually before the war. In favourable years the 

 exports of wheat from Upper Egypt are very great. 



The whole of the fliipping belonging to the inhabitants of Egypt on 

 the Red fea is reckoned to be only thirty-feven veflTcls, ver^illcon- 

 ftruded, and as ill managed. 



The manufadures of Egypt are — linen, from the earliefl; antiquity the 

 ftaple of the country ; green and white glafs for lamps and phials ; fu- 

 gar, formerly fent to Confl;antinople, but the exadions of the govern- 

 ment have been fo heavy upon this article, that it is now made very 

 bad, [and in fuch fmall quantities as to fell for 1/2 a pound ; fal-ammon- 

 iac ; faltpetre ; gun-powder ; red and yellow leather ; jars and bottles 

 of earthen ware. 



To this fliort lift; of the manufactures of modern Egypt we may add 

 the propagation of fowls, which, being effeded by artificial heat in 

 ovens, may not improperly be called a manufadure of fowls : and the 

 Egyptians have them in fuch abundance, that 5,000 are fometimes 

 drelfed to entertain the company at a marriage feaft, which lafts ten 

 days. We may almoft fay, that they alfo manufadure, or fow, fifli, as 

 they procure vaft abundance of them by fcattering the fpawn in the 

 pools, which are filled by the overflowing of the Nile. 



* Mr. Ba'Tow, a later traveler in Africa, finds points of agreement with Eg) pt. S^e his Trjve's 

 tlint natron abound. In the country adjacent to tlie in Southern Africa. 

 Cape of Good Hope, which, he fays, has many 



Vol. IV. " 3 I 



