Few of the articles imported into Sennaar are brought from European markets. The principal articles imported from 1:.cypt are the sembil and rnehleb, both of which are in great request in Sfidan, the former as a perfume and medicine, and the latter as a condiment. The sembil is the Valerie celtica or Spiga celtica of the Italians, and is chiefly grown in the southern provinces of the Austrian dominions; it is sent from Venice and Trieste to Alexandria. The mehleb is brought from Armenia and Persia, and shipped at Smyrna and other ports of Asia Minor for Egypt It appears to be the fruit of a tale. Sugar is brought from Upper Egypt, and soap from Syria, where it is manufactured. From Egypt are also imported many manufactured articles, as takes (a sort of coarse cambric dyed blue), white cotton stuffs with red borders made at Mehalla in the Delta, melayes (a blue striped cotton cloth), linen made at Siout and Manfaloot, and sheep skins dressed with the wool on, which are often dyed blue and red, and are used as saddlecloths for the horses, dromedaries, and asses of the natives, and as carpets for the women's apartments. Beads of wood, of coloured glass, coloured agate, coral, aud amber are imported to a considerable extent Paper, made in Genoa and Leghorn, goes to Dar-Fur and other countries farther west. Brass-wire is in great demand, as it is used for ornamenting the lances by heisting it round different parts of the shaft. Of hardware, the most saleable articles are common razors, files, thimbles, scissors, needles, nails, steels to strike fire with, and sword-blades. The sword-blades are made at Solingen on the Rhine. Tar is imported to make water-skins water proof, and to rub the backs of the camels. Silver trinkets for female ornaments, such as bracelets and ear-rings, are imported in great numbers; most of them go to Dar-Fur. Looking-glasses of Venetian and Trieste manufacture, with gilt covers, are a considerable article in the Egyptian trade.
The principal article of export is slaves. They are partly imported into Sennaar from Abyssinia, Kordofan, and Dar-Fur, and partly taken from the mowelled, or native slaves of the country. Damour, or cotton-stuff, is always in great demand, as the cotton manufactories of Sennaar and those of Begharmi furnish the greater part of north eastern Africa with articles of dress. Gold is partly got from the mines in the Fungi and Nuba Mountains, and partly from Abyssinia. Other important articles of export are ivory, mostly from Dar-Fur, rhinoceros horns, musk, whips and other articles of leather, ebony, the coffee brought from the western districts of Abyssinia, honey, and ostrich feathers. India goods reach Sennaar by the way of Jidda and
Suakim. They consist of different sorts of cambric from Surat and Madras, of coarse muslin from Bengal, of spices, especially cloves and ginger, of India sugar, the beads called reysh, and sandalwood.
The inland trade of Sennaar is very active, partly in consequence of the great number of caravans which continually traverse the country, and create a great demand for camels, and partly on accouut of the different productions of the several parts which constitute the province of Beldd-es-Stidan. No gold currency is in use among the merchants of Sennaar except undamped pieces or rings of pure gold. They are of different sizee, from 30 pares (2d.) to 240 piastres (3/.); and during the whole time the market lasts an officer sits with the scales before him, and weighs gold gratis for all persons. Spanish dollars are current. In some parts the beads are used as small coin.
lliatory.—The ancient history of Sennaar is very little known. It appears that it once formed a part of the empire of Abyssinia, and at a later period of Nubia. In the 13th or 14th century it was wrested from Nubia by a family which came originally from Teysafaan, a country in Stolen; and at one time that family was in possession of nearly all Nubia, the whole country from the second cataract to the mountains of Fungi being subject to them. On the east their empire included Suakim and a large tract of the coast of the Red Sea, and on the west it extended beyond Kordofan. In the course of time the sovereigns, called became too indolent to transact business, and appointed a vizier, who soon possessed himself of all the power, though he continued to pay outward respect to the milk. This took place about two centuries ago, and since that time the power of Sennaar has been decreasing, and several chiefs have become nomi nally and really independent In 1822 the country was invaded by the army of Mohamed All under Ismael Pasha. The vizier made no resistance, but obtained good terms for himself, by which the southern part of Sennaar, which lies within the mountains of Fungi, was left to him as a vassal of the pasha of Egypt, and the muk was reduced to the station of a private individual.
(Burckhardt, Travels in Nubia ; London Geographical Journal, vols. ii. v. ix. x.)