128 
the preceding; where ftrangers barter for 
new commodities, and part with thofe 
which they had not been able to fell at the; 
departure of thecaravan; for, before they 
return homeward, they eafily agree for 
ather merchandize which is faleable and 
fought after in their own country. [Ft is 
thus that the commerce of Grand Cairo, 
eapital of Egypt, extends by land as far 
as Mecca, in confequence of this yearly 
pilgrimaye; ‘and into the interior of Afri- 
ca by the caravans of pilorims. The 
Copts have no other profit than their 
miferable falaries as porters. 
Let us now examine the maritime com- 
merce of Egypt. Alexandria, Rofetta, 
Damietta, on the Mediterranean, and 
Suez on the Red Sea, may be with juftice 
efteemed fo meny fources of riches to this 
country. From the feveral parts of ‘the 
Ottoman empire, the kingdom of Mo- 
rocco, the coafts of Barbary and Europe, 
every fpecies of “merchandize is landed 
from the Mediterranean at Alexandria 
and Damietta; and from this Jaft-men- 
tioned city they are f{pread throughout all 
Egypt; in the fame manner thoje~ from 
Arabia Felix and the Eaft Indies arrive by 
the Red Sea. The excellent fituation of 
the capital, and the ealy communication 
of this'city and Alexandria with the feve- 
ral ports, render it the firf of all commer- 
cial cities. Whilf the French, Enghith, 
and’ other European nations that have 
eflablifhments in the Eait Indies, are com- 
pelled, as it were, to make the circuit of 
the globe by the Cape of Good Hope to 
convey their cargoes, they come into the 
forts of Bcypt by a branch of the fea: it- 
is, therefore, not to be wondered at, that 
the Greeks, the Armenians, the Syrians, 
the Jews, and other nations, though com- 
pelled every year to pay confiderable fums 
by oppreffion and extortions of every kind, 
fhould, notwithftanding, have fuffered 
them ; fince the extortions are but a trivial 
difburfement when compared with the im- 
menfe profits they realize. There_are a 
thoufand examples of ftrangers arriving at 
Cairo with a very trifling capital, who, 
though fubjeét to this oppreffion, have 
become very rich merchants. 
Thus all thofe riches, tranfported from 
the mof difant climes, and united m one 
common centre, are afterwards fpread 
throughout every quarter by themerchants, 
and exchanged with others, as intereft dic- 
tates. Thus does coffee pafs from Mokha 
to Djeddah, from Djeddab to Suez, , 
whence it is tranfported by the caravans to 
Grand Cairo ; from thence’by the ports 
ef Alexandria or Damictta it enters into 
Ancient and Modern Commerce of Egypt. 
[ March f, 
the Mediterranean, and finally arrives at 
Venice, Rome, Paris, and elfewhere ; 4 
and the elafs-wares fabricated at Murano : 
go by the fame conveyance as faras Mok- | 
bd, and other parts. of Arabia, where | 
they ferve for the drefs and ornament of 
the women. It is incredible how great 
the confumption of European merchan- 
dize is in Egypt, as well for the ufe of the 
inhabitants of the country, as to fend elfe- 
where. ; . 
Imperts*.—About 800 bales of cloth 
from Languedoc and Provence, the fame 
quantity from England, Flanders, Ger- 
many, and Venice, arrive in Egypt every 
year; arid it ischiefly in the month of Ra- 
madbda that a great quantity of this article 
is difpofed of, as every one is eager to 
purchafe habiliments of new cloth for the 
folemnization of the feat of Beiram, which 
is the Muffulman’sEafter. The annual cara- 
van of pilgrimage, which fets out the 27th 
of the monthCheoudl,alone requires from 60 _ 
to 80 bales of cloth from Languedoc, the 
major part of which is employed by the #- 
myr-él Hhadiy, chief of the caravan, in 
cloaths for prefents to the Arabians in the 
territories through. which they pals, and 
for the inhabitants of Mecca on his arrival 
there. ‘This fingle branch of commerce 
is very profitable to the merchants of Mar 
feilles. | a 
Every year they require in Egypt 8 
barrels of cochineal, and fometimesmore; > 
and in times of war between France aiid 
England, about 200 barrels pafs through 
Egypt into India. . 
From Europe aré annually exported into 
Egypt 400 bales of pepper, each bale con- 
taining 300 rothles (near 300 pounds.) 
Europe furnifhes Egypt with feveral 
kinds of drugs, as well for medicinal ule, 
as for that of the kitchen. bY 
The Europeans annuaily prepare for 
Egypt, upwards of 60 barrels of pewter, 
as many of wine, and a certain quantity 
of chefts containing needles, {ciflars, 
knives, fmall looking-glaffes, &c. &e. ~ 
There is alfo fent annually frem Europe, 
and particularly Venice, a great quantity 
of glafs-ware, fuch as beads, rings, &c. 
and from Marfeilles as well as Wenice ; 
more than a thoufand. bales of writing? ; 
paper, a great quantity of which goes to 
Djeddah, by the Red Sea. Laftly, Eu-  ~ 
rope furnifhes Egypt with lead, mercury, 
nails, and all forts of metals, worked or 
plain. . She 5 
In the fecond part of Vanfleb, chapter 
i i ee, 
4 
* See Niebuhr’s Voyage into Arabia, vol. 
j. page 115. -Amfterdam, 1776.  ~ 
oth. 
