396 COMMERCE. 
laid on one table, fliew that Egypt does not want 
for money. Ibrahim Kiaja , who in my time was 
Ufurper of Egypt, gave the prefent Bafhaw, fome 
days after his arrival, a grand entertainment, at 
which he and his brother Rodoau Kiaja, who 
W as the other Ulurper, waited at table. After 
dinner, he gave the Bafhaw prefents to the a- 
mount of 30,000 ducats, which confifted of 
horfes with and without furniture. Huffs from In- 
dia, diamonds and coined gold. An Ufurper, 
poffeffed of the chief power over Egypt, might 
make fuch a prefent without lofing by it, but ho 
who received it, viz. the Bafhaw, muff certainly 
have been much grieved to find himfelf loaded 
with prefents from a perfon, whofe feigned re- 
fpeft was intended to {hew him his power. They 
are not the moft agreeable prefents, which we are 
obliged, for certain reafons of ftate, to receive 
from thofe we would rather wifh to fee in a con- 
dition, in which it would be out of their power to 
make them. 
2. Of Gain in Trade. 
If we can procure a commodity from the firft 
hand, and fell it ourfelves without a rival for com 
fumption, we certainly may gain as much as W e 
pleafe. The largeft fum is given to the planter 
or manufacturer, the merchant gains the profit* 
and the purchafer fuffers the lofs. This has been 
the foundation of riches in England and B o1 ' 
land. The French have endeavoured to folio' 
their example in Egypt, but they have alway 
been obliged to leave a fhare of the profit to the 
teachers. A Frenchman buys coffee at M<jC c 
from the firft hand, he carries it to Marfeu l, j? 
