Ivory.—Many of the merchants at Trieste, Marseilles, and Livorno, are even at the present day of the opinion that the ivory imported, viâ the Cape of Good Hope, is found in the East Indies, and have, therefore, given it the name of Asiatic ivory; that, on the other hand, brought by way of Tripoli and Alexandria, they have termed African ivory; whereas I can assure them, that more than one-third, if not the half of the former, is, properly speaking, African. During nineteen months of my travels in the interior of Africa, I endeavoured to collect accurate information concerning this article of commerce, and I think that my experience will prove of sufficient interest to entitle me to give it at length. Mehemed Ali monopolizes the trade in ivory, and thinks that he receives all the ivory imported into his states from the centre of Africa; but he is very much mistaken in this respect, for only that brought by the caravans from Darfour, which usually reach Siut, in Upper Egypt, in the months of February and March, is sold to the Viceroy, and this merely from necessity, in order to enable the vendor to purchase other articles with the net proceeds. In Kordofan, the very centre of the ivory trade, he has thrown the trade open, but at the same time very cunningly calculated that it must eventually come into his hands, for, after the djelabi (merchants) have bought the ivory in Kordofan, and defrayed all the expenses of its transport to Cairo, he is the first to make them an offer for their stock, and, indeed, at so low a price that they can hardly gain a small interest on the capital laid out; hence very little ivory is brought to him now-a-days through that source. Darfour, which receives ivory from its tributary provinces, Runga, Kulla, Shala, Binga, Gimir, Sachana, Yambusa, Dama, etc., as contribution, sells it in the country to the merchants of Kobbe and El-Fasher. That which is collected at Pergu, Bachermi, Kugo, and Niro, is annually forwarded to Tripoli. The market price at Kobbe and El-Fasher, where large stores are always kept, is 3l. 2s. 6d. the cantaro of 12 rottoli (= 88 lbs). The purchase is likewise effected by barter against cottons from Dongola, or articles of trade from Germany, viz., double-edged swords, red cloth, amber, glass-beads, spikenard, wire, etc. From Darfour the ivory is brought to Lobeid, the capital of Kordofan, and to Bara, a commercial town in the same province, but the greater quantity passes through the country to the shores of the Red Sea. In Kordofan, the cantaro costs already 10l. 18s., including the duty. A great deal is brought from Shabun and the Shilluk country to Kordofan, where the djelabi of Lobeid and Bara become the possessors of it by barter; the Bakkara (a nomadic tribe) also trade in ivory, and barter it away to the djelabi above mentioned; to the Shilluks they give, at the most, cottons from Dongola, glass beads, salt, and tobacco, in exchange for it. All the ivory which passes through Kordofan, whether directly or indirectly obtained, is forwarded to Suakim, a sea-port on the Red Sea, under the 19° of northern latitude, where it is received by Englishmen who have been quietly awaiting its arrival, and have cast their net over sixteen hundred or two thousand miles of the interior of Africa. The Englishman pays well and promptly, hence he commands the market without any trouble; whilst for Mehemed Ali remains only that which, for want of time, or owing to some other circumstance, was not forwarded to Suakim. The English have done all in their power, for a long time, to keep secret the sources, whence they derive so large a quantity of this commodity; thus they remained perfectly quiet at Suakim, where this article of commerce was brought to them, avoiding the necessity of exposing themselves to the unhealthy climate of the interior of Africa, or rather of Kordofan. They have appointed agents at Suakim, Indians by birth, who manage the business for two, or at the most three, English houses established in India. In the year 1840, an Englishman was stationed there transacting business, and he was by no means pleased at finding the secret, which had stood the test of so many years, at last discovered. The cantaro costs from 10l. to 12l., and scarcely a fourth part of it pays duty at the customhouse in Suakim. Small coasting vessels act as lighters to convey the cargo to the larger Arabian and Indian ships lying off in readiness to receive it, which then sail for India directly.
At a distance of half a league from the shore of Abyssinia, and two leagues from Arkiko, is an island in the possession of the Viceroy of Egypt, named Massauwa, which forms, as it were, the key of Abyssinia; for all the ivory brought from Abyssinia, the Galla country, and the south-west and southern parts of Africa, must pass through this island. The cargoes from Shoa (in southern Abyssinia) and the neighbouring states, are discharged at Berbera and Zeila, a town on the African coast. From these few remarks, it may be easily deduced that the ivory passing from Africa to India, and by the Cape, is not all Asiatic, although a large share of it is certainly obtained in India. In conclusion, I must observe that, when Mehemed Ali throws the trade open, the first buyers in Kordofan will realize a very handsome profit; but they should rather pay the cantaro of one hundred and fourteen rottoli, with seven hundred and fifty piasters at Lobeid, than venture into the country of the Shilluks, or to Shabun, Runga, or Darfour, where they might certainly purchase it at half the price, but would incur a risk which would decidedly overbalance the advantage. It would be no less hazardous to send a native of Kordofan into these countries to effect the purchase, for they are such infamous liars, more especially the Dongolavi, that they will rather allow themselves to be murdered than speak one word of truth: the goods, moreover, or the money with which they might be intrusted, would be certainly lost, as they will leave their wives and children for so favourable an opportunity of cheating.
The djelabi, would, in like manner, raise the price of the ivory considerably, as soon as they had an idea that the demand for this commodity increased; hence it would probably be the most judicious plan to come to an understanding with a Turkish officer quartered in Kordofan, and to effect the acquisition in his name; the officers would willingly lend themselves to this undertaking, without any pretensions to a share in the profits, if they were only treated to a few bottles of wine or good brandy; many honourable men are, moreover, to be met with among the Turks, to whom the business might fearlessly be intrusted. There would be no difficulty in entering into Darfour or in reaching Kobbe, which is not the capital, but merely the chief commercial town in the kingdom; nor would it be impracticable to obtain ivory by purchase or barter there, or, indeed, at El-Fasher, the capital, where large stores are kept; but no one could answer for his return as long as Sultan Mohammed Fadels is on the throne. Should the government ever devolve upon his brother, Abumedina, Europeans would then have free ingress and egress to the country, for he is favourably disposed towards the Franks, and would willingly serve them. For this assertion I can vouch, as I received the most unequivocal proofs of the kindness of his disposition, at a time when my life was at stake. The further expenses contingent upon this undertaking would be as follows:—
| Piasters. | Day’s journey. | |
|---|---|---|
| To freight of one camel-load of three to three and a half cantari of one hundred rottoli, from Lobeid to Debba on the Nile | 60 | 16 |
| To boat-hire thence to New Dongola for one boat | 30-60 | 4-6 |
| To freight from New Dongola, across the desert to Wady Chalfa | 30-50 | 14-16 |
| To freight from Wady Chalfa to the Isle of Phylae on the first cataract | 60-150 | 8-10 |
| To freight to Assuan (the ancient Syene), a distance of one and a half hour’s march., per camel | 3-4 | |
| To freight per boat from Assuan to Cairo | 400-1000 | 20-30 |
| To freight, per boat, from Cairo to Atfe | 150-400 | 4-8 |
| To freight, per boat, from Atfe on the canal of Mahmudie | 30-80 | 1 |
It must be mentioned in giving this estimate, that the boat-hire would vary according to the size of the vessel employed, nor can the time of the journey by water be accurately calculated, as it depends in a great measure on the wind and the height of the water of the Nile. As a general rule three months and a half may be reckoned as the time required to reach Alexandria from Lobeid in travelling with goods.
Tamarinds are an article to which the government attaches no value, it consequently permits the export. In the years 1837, 1838, and 1839, when, from some cause unknown to me, the inflorescence dropped off and no pods were formed, the rottolo cost on the spot three-quarters of a penny; and this was at a time when the natives were compelled to import tamarinds from Darfour, as the soil did not produce the necessary quantity for the consumption of the country. In other years, taking an average harvest, a camel load of three cantari will sell at one pound, The duty on this article is trifling. I found the flowers taken in the form of tea, a very excellent remedy, and am only astonished that this wholesome beverage is not in more general use in Europe. Ostrich feathers may be reckoned among the most profitable articles of commerce, when in demand in Europe. The inhabitants of Caccie, a town on the borders of Darfour, and of Haraza, and many other villages, occupy themselves with the capture of these birds. An ostrich’s skin yields usually about three rottoli of black feathers, and half a rottolo of white plumes. Several sorts are parted off for sale, e. g.: two-thirds blacks, one-third whites, at 10s 6d to 13s 6d the rottolo; greys at 5s 3d; blacks at 2½ to 3 piasters; white plumes, not of the best quality, from 2l 2s to 2l 12s. The duty on the feathers is one pound on the value in Kordofan, Darauve, and Cairo. They are made up into small packages enclosed in the skin of the bird; but great attention is required in the packing, for it is almost incredible how the moth attacks these goods, it is, therefore, indispensably necessary to air the feathers occasionally, and to pepper them in the packing.
The government purchases all the oxhides and consigns them to Egypt; it pays three piasters for each hide. There are no calf-skins in commerce, as it is contrary to the koran to slaughter calves. Sheep and goat skins for water-bags (Ckirbeh) constitute an article of export trade; these water-bags are also manufactured from ox leather, two of them generally form a camel load. Salt and tobacco are articles of export to the Shilluks and Yaenky, and are considered favourable objects for barter.
Sim-sim, whence an oil is expressed, is exported to Sennaar; Cisme,[71] which grows in Kordofan, although that of a superior quality comes from Takele, is exported to Egypt and the Levant. The price is very low; about twenty paras (two-pence) the rottolo, the same quantity is, however, paid in Cairo with four piasters (one shilling). It is used as a remedy in diseases of the eye, but great caution is necessary in purchasing this article; and it should indeed be always subjected to close examination, for there are several varieties in commerce, the fine grained specimens being the best, and the coarse grained the inferior varieties.
Gold is a very important article of export, but not very profitable at present, since the price has risen considerably. I am told that the oock’ckah was sold at two hundred piasters before the Turks entered the country; whereas the same quantity now costs three hundred and seventy or four hundred piasters; at this price, from ten to fifteen per cent. may be realized; the oock’ckah of Kordofan is rather heavier than that of Sennaar. Gold is met with in commerce, in rings varying in size, and also in grains; the latter variety is enclosed in the quills of large birds of prey, and is generally preferred to that in rings, which the natives have already began to adulterate. The greatest quantity of this metal is brought from the neighbourhood of Shabun, and from other southern provinces.
Horned cattle forms one of the chief exports, and is transported by the government to Egypt in large droves, of which more than the half perish on the road from want of proper care. Private individuals cannot engage in this speculation, for it would be injudicious to transport large herds, like those of the government, because attended with enormous expense, as it would require magazines to be erected at each day’s march between Debba and Cairo. Smaller droves are forwarded to Sennaar and Dongola by private parties. The government have even given up their large transports to Cairo. Camels are also exported to Cairo, because the price of these animals is very low in Kordofan.