10 
SLAVE TRADE. 
skins, Sec. &c. INTearly half of the commerce with 
this important country consists of legitimate articles 
of trade and barter. This is very encouraging, and 
the brief history of some of these objects of legal 
commerce is exceedingly interesting. Wax, for 
example, began to be sent seventeen years ago ; 
elephants' teeth, fifteen ; and indigo, only four years 
ago. 
Timbuctoo now scarcely forwards anything but 
gold to the coast of Tripoli, together with wax and 
ivory, but no slaves. The gold is brought by the 
merchants in diminutive roughly-made rings, which 
they often carry in dirty little bags, concealed in the 
breasts of their gowns. 
I am exceedingly glad to learn that the Gha- 
damsee merchants, who formerly embarked two- 
thirds of their capital in the slave-trade, have now 
only one-fourth engaged in that manner. This is 
progress. It has been partly brought about by the 
closing of the Tunisian slave-mart, partly by the 
increase of objects of legitimate commerce in the 
markets of Soudan. The merchants of Fezzan have 
still to learn that money may be invested to more 
advantage in things than in persons ; but their edu- 
cation has been undertaken, and however slow the 
light may be in forcing its way to their eyes, it will 
reach them at last, there can be no doubt. 
The trade in senna is always considerable. Last 
year a thousand cantars were brought from the 
country of the Tibboos and from Aheer. The latter 
