AND LOWER EGYPT. 323 



merce in natron, a very brisk one for Turkey, and 

 equally so in the state of Venice, where this alkali, 

 mixed with gray- stone, forms those beautiful blown 

 glasses of Murano, had entirely come to nothing, as 

 far as it regarded France. However, it apparently 

 made an effort to revive, towards the end of the 

 year 1777. A French merchant, established at 

 Rossetta, at that time consigned a pretty large 

 quantity of natron to his correspondent at Mar- 

 seilles. I was never in a situation to discover 

 whether this dawning of commerce was produc- 

 tive of any fortunate consequences; but our ma- 

 nufactures, our trade, would reap very great ad- 

 vantages, if the natron, which nature produces 

 abundantly in Egypt, were to become a branch of 

 commerce as lively as it is practicable. 



It is not only to the bleaching of cloths and 

 thread that the use of the natron is restricted in 

 countries where it is produced. It is likewise used 

 in dying, in the preparation of leather, in glass- 

 making, in whitening linen, in pastry instead of 

 leaven, in preserving viands and making them ten- 

 der, and, finally, in mixing with snuff, and giving 

 it a higher degree of poignancy. With regard to 

 this last mode of using it, I conjecture that we 

 shall not be tempted to imitate it. It is not the 

 less general in Egypt, the inhabitants of which do 

 not care for our tobacco without a mixture, because 



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