THE COMMERCE OF IVORY 437 



salesrooms in Mincing Lane during certain years, as 

 follows : 



1870 £155 



1880 . 90 



1890 . 112 



1900 68 



1905 167 



The prices for less valuable material followed this general 

 trend. Ivory always commands full value; for there is little 

 or no material wasted, even the dust being available for polish- 

 ing, for making India ink, or for the making of "ivory jelly." 



The progressive increase in sales in the London market 

 is shown by the fact that toward the close of the eighteenth 

 century they totalled something less than about 192,000 

 pounds annually, on an average, while in 1837 they had 

 risen to 364,784 pounds, and had reached 1,000,000 pounds 

 in 1864. According to the London Board of Trade figures, 

 1,434,900 pounds of ivory were imported in 1890; 1,091,100 

 pounds in 1895; while the figures declined to 988,900 pounds 

 in 1900 and to 904,500 pounds in 1904. 



Bombay secures the main part of its supply of ivory from 

 Zanzibar, Mozambique, and Aden. The total imports for 

 the year 1883-4 were 462,403 pounds, of which 197,866 

 pounds were exported again, principally to London (167,150 

 pounds). Of the imports Zanzibar furnished 178,278 

 pounds, Mozambique 109,327 pounds, and Aden 49,730 

 pounds; from England came 98,463 pounds. A good 

 average tusk weighs about two maunds, something over 

 57 pounds, and sells at the rate of 250 rupees ($80) per 

 maund. Zanzibar ivory pays an import and export duty 

 to the Sultan of the country amounting to 25 rupees ($8) 

 per maund (about 29 pounds) . On every tusk put through 

 the custom house the Sultan's seal is cut when the duty has 



