These Egyptian adventurers exported to India, silver and iron, copper and lead, together with some kinds of glass. They also furnished them with woollen goods, and other articles of inferior importance. And in re turn brought from India, ivory and ebony, silks, and printed or stained linens, pearls, and precious stones, cinnamon and nutmegs, frankincense and diverse valu able perfumes. To facilitate the conveyance of that merchandise to Alexandria, a canal was cut, from the Red Sea to one of the branches of the Nile ; but when that enterprize was unsuccessful, the goods were landed. at the port of Berenice, and conveyed from thence across the country to the Nile. To accommodate the travellers and caravans, wells were dug, and resting places provided by royal munificence. By caravans, the different countries of Africa threw the riches of their trade into Egypt, and Alexandria became the most valuable centre of merchandise in the world. It was owing to the riches derived from this traffic, that the sovereigns of Egypt maintained their greatness amidst so many indiscretions, and that Cleopatra, when the empire was shaken to its foundations, was still able to be so splendid and profuse.
Every nation that enjoyed the means of commerce with the Mediterranean, derived pleasure as well as profit from the merchandise of India, and, by trading at Alexandria, added to the wealth and importance of Egypt. When Carthage was destroyed, and Corinth was no more in its glory, Egypt increased its means of accumulation, and supplied the whole Mediterranean by its own shipping. Rome became a favoured nation, and while it supplied the increased luxuries of the state from the ports of Egypt, it afforded a source of wealth to the Ptolemian princes, by its great consumption of the merchandize and luxuries which were brought from India. When the Romans became masters of Egypt, the country continued to flourish in trade ; but the Ro mans, being warriors rather than merchants, were not calculated to promote the commercial prosperity of Egypt.
In the process of time, Egypt was subdued by the Saracens; and the particular circumstances of their em pire occasioned an extension of the trade with India. A communication was opened between that country and Constantinople, by means of the rivers Indus and Oxus, in connection with the Caspian and Euxine Seas. The trade which was formerly carried on through the Persian Gulf and the Euphrates, was afterwards con veyed by Palmyra to the Syrian coast. It was this trade, perhaps, which raised Palmyra to so much splen dour, though situated in a desert ; and when circum stances occasioned its ruin, the trade of the Persian Gulf was conveyed by Aleppo to Constantinople. Since the discovery of the Cape of Good Hope, the Indian trade with Egypt is considerably diminished; but per haps it might have been more attended to, if Egypt had not become a province of an overgrown but feeble and degraded empire. It still carries on a trade with India, and the goods are landed at Suez or Cossir, and conveyed from thence to Grand Cairo, and other parts of the country. Various caravans convey passengers
and goods from Fez, Tunis, and Algiers, as well as from other parts of Africa ; and the caravans, which carry pilgrims to Mecca, are also employed in the mer chandize of India and Arabia. If Egypt were under the influence of a well-regulated government, it would become a nation of high importance, both in point of agriculture and the arts; as well as a place of com merce, well fitted to hold communication with all pla ces of the world. In its present circumstances, its trade is much interrupted; but when the Mediterranean is open for commerce, it exports many valuable articles, not only to Constantinople, the coast of Barbary, and other places belonging to the Grand Signior, but also to Venice, Marseilles, and Great Britain. Among these articles may be comprehended Mokah coffee, myrrh, various kinds of gum, cinnamon, with a great variety of drugs, mother-of-pearl, dates, opium, frankincense and rice ; to which may be added, linen clothes, buf falo and ox hides, and camels skins. From the same or similar parts, they receive woollen clothes, both su and common ; iron and lead, together with va i'ious articles of cutlery and sharp-edged tools. Silks are even imported into Egypt of a different kind from what is manufactured among themselves, and printed -cottons of showy patterns ; to which may be added, tobacco, copper, quicksilver, and, in short, every arti cle- of the arts, which the ingenuity of other nations have produced.
The villages of Egypt pay a fixed revenue to the Grand Signior ; and the lands were formerly let for life, upon condition of providing annually a certain number of soldiers. These were obliged to arrange themselves under the banners of the provincial got/el. nor, who, on that account, was called the Sangiacs, and 'the number of the troops was varied as circumstances re quired. Now this undefined manner of providing sol diers is abolished; and the country at large is obliged to supply the Grand Signior annually with 3000 troops, if required. Another branch of revenue to the court of Constantinople is the custom-houses, which are esta blished in various parts of Egypt ; and the last source of income is the capitation-tax upon all those resident people who are not Mussulmans, and that tax is called harach. The present situation of Egypt in these re spects cannot be explained. It has scarcely recovered itself from the threatening influence which the bcys had acquired, and from the shock which was given it by the French invasion. The feeble authority of the Porte over its distant provinces, is not calculated either to make than productive or happy ; but we believe Egypt has improved of late, in obedience to the orders of the Grand Signior, and, if well managed, is able to yield a considerable. revenue.