COMMERCE. 399 
is thin, and the Irifh cfofe, and in this refpeft, I 
imagine the former to be ftronger than the latter, 
which is confirmed by experience, and allowed by 
the rules of mechanics. The antients talk much 
of the linen of Egypt, and many of our learned 
men imagine it was fo fine and precious, that 
we have even loft the art, and cannot make it fo 
good. They have been induced to think fo, by 
the commendations the Greeks lavifhed on the E- 
gyptian linens. They had good reafon for doing 
it, for they had no flax themfelves, and were unac- 
quainted with the art of weaving. But were we to 
compare a piece of Holland linen with the linen 
in which the Mumies were laid, and which is of 
the oldeft and belt manufadture in Egypt, we 
fhould find that the fine linen of Egypt is very 
coarfe in comparifon to what is now made. The E- 
gyptian linen was fine and fought after by kings 
and princes, when Egypt was the only country 
that culdvated Flax, and knew to ufe it. 
Hides and Rice are the other confiderable com- 
modities which Damiata affords. Through this 
town goes all the filk which is ufed in Egypt, it is 
brought from Syria and Cyprus in confiderable 
quantities. 
6. The Perfian trade has, fince the reign of 
Thomas Kouly Kan, being utterly ruined. The 
Engliffi and Dutch who were at Ifpahan had e- 
nough to do to fave their lives, and were obliged 
to leave their goods and houfes to be plundered, 
when the town was feveral times lacked by the 
troops of the competitors for the crown. There 
came formerly from Perfia to Aleppo tooo bales 
of the beft filk, which the Franks lent to Europe, 
who in return fent to Perfia a quantity of doth and 
other European goods. This trade is at prefent en- 
Y 4 tirely 
