530 
wife in Upper Egypt) tranfports very fine 
mats, called Hbafir in Arabic, for the 
ornamenting of rooms. 
We have till now mentioned thofe 
articles which arrive at Grand Cairo from 
the Mediterranean, and en Jand from the 
interior of Africa ; but thofe which come 
from the Red Sea to Suez, are of creater 
worth and much more efteemed. 
The magnificent Perhan ftuffs, the 
productions of Arabia, the linens, and 
the produce of the Eaft Indies and of 
China, are partly brought by pilgrims who 
return from Mecca to the port and city of 
Djeddah, and partly by Indian veffels, 
and fometimes by Englifh and French 
fhips that touch at this city. This mer: 
chandize is there unloaded, and then put 
on board other veffels, which carry it to 
the port of Suez, diftant from Cairo about 
two days fail. Twenty-five thoufand 
bales of coffee, every {pecies of drugs 
from India, fenna, myrrh, and three thou- 
iand bales of incenfe are annually brought 
to Suez by this conveyance, and are thence 
carried to Cairo by thecaravan, as weilas 
China-ware, pearls, muflins, and camb- 
lets, &c. 
Vanfleb, in the work before mentioned, 
fays, that in his time, “ At Suez, a port 
ot the Red Sea, in Egypt, arrives the 
moft precious merchandize from India, 
which is purchafed at the pilgrimage of 
Mecca, and fent to Cairo by the before- 
mentioned fea, conlifting of coffee, berva- 
gies, that is to fay, ftriped cloths of divers 
coleurs, feveral other kinds of dimities, 
“grocery, incenfe, and porcelain.” 
Exports. —What has already been faid 
fuffices to give anidea of the merchandize 
received by Egypt, that,is to fay, by its 
paflive commerce. Let us now give a 
glance at its active commerce. 
The articles of trade which arrive in 
Europe by the way of Alexandria and Da- 
mietta, are as follow: flax, fpun cotton, 
printed cottons, muflins, Indian camblets, 
dimities (a kind of cotton cloth), all linens, 
and cottons of difierent qualities. The 
exportation of all kinds of grain, roots 
and feeds, wherewith the country abounds, 
is prohibited, notwithfianding great car- 
goes of rice and linfeed are fhipped for 
Europe. Thefe two ports alfo afford 
coffee, affafoetida, fenna, caffia fiftula, 
fugar called mafcabade coccoli, from the 
Eaft, fal-ammoniac, the black vomica 
nut, tamarinds, four forts of gums, in- 
cenfe, myrrh, alces, {pikenard, asferi, 
vulgarly called fafranon (carihanius itne- 
gerius, Lin.), dates, oftrich-feathers, balm 
Culture of Kice—Sylphs. 
[March t, 
of Mecca, cola-quintida, buffaloes, bulls* 
and cows’ hides. - : 
The commodities coming from Egypt, 
and which are moft efteemed, fays, Vanfleb, 
ate, ‘* flax, various forts of linens, dimi- 
ty, prepared buffaloes” hides, the afhes of . 
a certain plant called kali (viz. foda) which 
is found in the neighbourhood of Alexan- 
dria: quantities of this are fent to Venice, 
where it is employed in the making of 
cryftal glaffes ; nitre, fugar, gum, cinna- 
mon, faffron, opium, tamarinds, caffia, 
fenna, incenfe, precious ftones, &c. and I 
may almoft fay, that if the exportation of 
grain, faltpetre, falt and rice was permitted, 
Europe would remain without money.” 
This expreffion it muft be confefled is 
hyperbolical, but it ferves to fhew the ex- 
tent and importance of the commerce o 
Egypt. 
, —= 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
Eee feen in your laft Magazine 
a letter on the fubje€t of wild-rice, 
it reminds me of having heard feveral per- 
fons laft fummer mention the circumftance 
of there being growing at that time in the 
North of England a field of rice which 
feemed to thrive extremely well. I fhould. 
be glad to be informed, through the me- 
dium of your publication, by any of your 
readers that may have a knowledge of the, 
circumfiance, if the crop came to perfec- 
tion, with other particulars refpecting it, 
fuch as the feed ufed; how managed in the 
culture and reaping; the quality,compared. 
with that we import ; if it was completely 
matured; in what degree produétive, and 
how far beneficial to the grower, compared. 
with other grain, in order to forma judg- 
ment, whether it would be worth while to 
make further experiments with a view to. 
the introduction of its growth generally. 
in this country, in fuch fituations as are 
adapted to its cultivation, and net fit for, 
other grain, fuch as fwampy lands, of, 
which we have very confiderable traéts in. 
many parts of England. Z.Z. 
Fan. 19, 1801. 
a 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. - 
SIR, 
NE of your readers has, at page 11, 
vol. x. exprefied a wifh to know all 
that is knowable concerning Sylphs: he 
alone can tell whether his curiofity will be 
fatished or excited by the following ex- 
traéts from the fecond of the Secret Dia- 
logues of Count Gabalis, there is - Se 
oO 
Sn ge ae Ee 
