The chief trade, before all the articles enumerated, is, unfortunately, in slaves. The government and the Djelabi emulate each other in doing all in their power to gain possession of these unhappy beings by every possible method. The former, who are wholesale dealers, resort to the most cruel practices to seize upon slaves in large bodies;[72] whilst the Djelabi imitate them on a smaller scale, and consider every species of cunning and deception fair, where the object is to gain possession of these poor wretches. The slaves of the Djelabi, however, are always treated with more forbearance than those of the government, who are not very particular about losing several hundred of their unfortunate victims by positive ill-treatment, or no less blameable neglect; whereas the Djelabi are compelled to use them more leniently, as the death of each slave entails the loss of a small capital. Lobeid is the centre of the slave trade, and market is, consequently, held there daily. To this place slaves are brought, not only from the neighbouring countries, but even from Kulla, Banda, Wuanga, Bachermi, Bergu, Pegu, and more distant states, but not in such large numbers as from the borders. It is absolutely revolting to hear how these poor creatures have oftentimes fallen into captivity, and it would be, indeed, incredible were not the opportunity for conviction of the truth of so frequent occurrence. The Djelabi proceed into the neighbouring countries with goods, which they barter away for slaves who have become prisoners of war or captives by stealth. They stand in connexion with a species of kidnappers, who think very little of stealing the children of their own countrymen for a trifle, and bringing them to a preconcerted spot for barter. The greater part of those bought up by the Djelabi are thus collected by the marauding Bakkara. The price of these unhappy beings varies according to their age, health, and beauty, as also according to the country they may call their fatherland. Children born in Kordofan of captive parents are generally of the highest price, because already accustomed to some species of work and more especially because acquainted with the Arabic language, for the owner of a married slave, or of a girl who brings a child into the world, is at the same time proprietor of the latter, and is permitted to sell it; masters even who have children by their female slaves may dispose of their offspring, and examples of this unnatural proceeding are by no means uncommon. In short whatever is considered most cruel and revolting by all civilized nations, is treated with the utmost levity in this country, so that it is, indeed, impossible to find words to give full vent to your feelings of indignation and horror.
The human being, deprived of his liberty, is here regarded as a commodity, or ready money, passes from hand to hand as in circulation or in commerce, and must think himself fortunate if he ultimately chance to become the denizen of a house where he may find rest for the sole of his foot, or may reckon on the treatment due to him as a portion of humanity. No single house is to be found among the more opulent part of the community which is not provided at least with one slave, either male or female, for the performance of the menial offices, for it is, as it were, comme il faut to fill the house with captives, and to keep a separate slave appropriated to each separate office. The greater number, however, is hence exported, in larger or smaller convoys, to Egypt and the Levant.
Senna-leaves are found in many parts of Kordofan in abundance, but the government makes no use of them, and others are prevented from turning them to advantage by the existing monopoly. They are equal in quality to those of Dongola, which the administration thence imports and sells under the denomination of Alexandrian or Egyptian Senna. Not the fiftieth part of these leaves, however, are natives of Egypt, for they are first met with at Assuan, and are erroneously called Egyptian leaves; their true native country is the province of Dongola. The government draws its entire supply from that province. The inhabitants of the deserts in those parts collect them, and receive from two hundred to four hundred piasters, according to the state of the market, for the camel-load of three cantari, at forty-four oock’ckahs, delivered in New Dongola. As the government would have to pay an addition of sixty to eighty piasters on the freight of each camel-load they might draw from Kordofan, they naturally do not obtain any leaves from that province, and they are left to rot unused.
These are then the chief articles produced in the country, or received transito from the bordering states.
The importation of articles for home consumption, or for trade with other countries, is effected by caravans, the majority of which arrive from Cairo, a far less number comes from Sennaar, and yet less from Suakim; they return laden with a few inconsiderable objects from Araby and India to Lobeid and Bara. Commerce is carried on in a very dilatory manner, and the return of profits is attended with a considerable loss of time. In the month of Ramadan, the great Turkish fast, the most home-business is transacted. During the rainy season all communication with other countries is cut off, and it is a rare occurrence if a small caravan ever arrive during that period, for every merchant is justly under the apprehension of a loss, by the damage his goods might sustain from the heavy showers; and the streams are, moreover, so overflowing that frequently many days transpire before a caravan can cross them. The immense journey of three or four months duration, and the freightage by camel and boat, render the price of all imported articles very high in Kordofan. This outlay would, however, be but of slight importance in a commercial point of view, were it not for the exorbitant duty, which so materially augments the price of the goods; such absurdity and despotism could, in fact, only exist under the government of Mehemed Ali; even if his realms were to extend to the assumed range of mountains of the moon, the merchandize would have to pay customs in each province it might pass through before reaching the place of its destination. All goods on their arrival at Alexandria are subjected to a moderate import duty, which, however, only franks them to Cairo. The same goods shipped in Old Cairo to be conveyed up the Nile must again pay as follows: in Old Cairo on an average twelve shillings, in Dongola thirty piasters per camel-load, in Lobeid three hundred piasters for a load of cottons, whether fine or of inferior quality, without distinction. A camel-load of rice pays one hundred and fifty piasters, wine one hundred piasters, brandy, rosoglio, and rum fifty shillings ad valorem. The states of Austria furnish the greater quantity of articles for Kordofan, the majority of which are again exported into the negro states. England yields only white calicos; common Bohemian linen was formerly imported, but the more reasonable prices of cottons have quite ousted it from the market. The following are the articles of import trade to Kordofan: cloves, pepper, sugar, coffee, sulphur, rice, soap, chintz and cotton prints, red and blue sackcloth, linen from Cairo (named here shouter melanie), ready-made clothes for Turks, red shoes, wine, brandy, rosoglio, vinegar, oil, green olives, cheese, amber from Prussia (Nos. 3 to 6), opaque coral, and a few other inconsiderable objects. The imports from the Austrian dominions are the following: spikenard,[73] shot, dogas,[74] razors,[75] double-edged swords,[76] camel-bells, antimony,[77] arsenic,[78] iron and brass wire,[79] lucifers, Bohemian products, ordinary cloths,[80] looking-glasses in paper cases, finger-rings set with stones, glass beads of every colour,[81]—that of lapis lazuli, is the most fashionable in Kordofan,—card-counters.[82] The sale of glass will increase considerably in time, the whole sum expended in this commodity at Cairo does not at present amount to more than twenty-five pounds at the utmost. The Levantine articles are in chief request, such as narghilé,[83] brick,[84] mastrapà,[85] syringes, and common tumblers. From Venice the natives obtain glass beads, and paper dressed in the Turkish fashion. Austrian manufactures finding so ready a market in a large portion of Africa and Asia, and Cairo being the most suitable depot, it is very astonishing that only two Austrian commercial houses should be established in that town: the one is a Bohemian house for the sale of glass beads and looking-glasses, the other a Venetian for the sale of Venetian beads. The Austrian trade thus suffers a great loss, for the Asiatic and African merchant is forced to purchase the imperial produce after it has passed through many hands, and as each agent must make at least a small profit, it is evident that the price of the articles is in this manner considerably raised.
All these goods pass through Cairo, but few of them by way of Suakim and Sennaar. I was the first Austrian subject who made an attempt to traffic with this country, I had not the idea of establishing myself, for my capital was too inconsiderable for that purpose, and, in fact, only intended to defray the expenses of my journey, but I believe that the experience I made may be of great service to others. I caution every one, however, who may intend visiting this country with goods to be on his guard against the white ants, and never to neglect placing his cases on stones, for I have myself unfortunately been a sufferer by the ubiquity of these destructive beasts. During my illness I was incapable of looking after my luggage, and as a consequence found, on my recovery, all my cottons in a perfectly unsaleable state, and this when on my flight at a time when I had moneys to reclaim. The Termites became the cause why I was compelled to return without a servant, and to march during two days on foot through the Desert of Krusko. The prices of goods vary with the seasons; thus, during the rains, when no caravan can arrive from Egypt, and goods are consequently scarce, the prices increase by fifty shillings of their usual cost.
Coffee is imported from Abyssinia, and the ordinary price of the rottolo is three piasters; but in the year 1838, it rose to eighteen piasters (5s. 1d.). During the rainy season sugar stood at nine piasters per rottolo (1lb. English); rice at twelve piasters per oock’ckah; vinegar at fifteen piasters the bottle: soap at nine piasters the rottolo; pepper at twelve piasters; the prices of all goods, however fall with the arrival of fresh supplies. Many of the articles of importation are bought up by Djelabi, who trade with the interior of the country, and barter them away for slaves and other commodity. The commerce with the interior even requires some experience, e. g. in respect to glass-beads; for, on some of the hills, the white specimens are in request; on others the red or blue beads are preferred, and the same rule applies to many other articles. A great deal of salt and tobacco is imported into the country of the Shilluks. The Djelabi, in whose hands the entire trade may be said to rest, might turn it to far better advantage, if they had more talent for business, and were less careless in its transaction. Thus they pay no attention to the demands of the market, but purchase, year after year, the same articles, sit themselves down in a sook, and will not quit that spot in quest of fresh supplies until they have sold the very last article, be it ever so trifling. The value of time is totally unknown to them, and as for leaving the remainder of their unsold goods with an agent on commission, a son would not trust his own father, but rather lose the most valuable time for travelling for two or three pounds of soap, and a few trumpery glass-beads. These Djelabi are Dongolavi, and have remained true to the character of their original parents in Dongola. They will rather allow their goods to spoil than part with them below their standard; they sell one article at the same rate as one hundred articles, and make very little difference in price as regards quality; for common or damaged cottons, rusty or intact wire, are all sold at the same price. The merchandize which is not damaged on the road is spoiled in the market-place, where everything is thrown down on the sand in one large heap, and no one troubles himself whether a person in the crowd walk over his goods with dirty feet, or a shower drench them thoroughly. He who first comes selects the best articles, and he who is forced to wait until the greater part is disposed of, takes whatever he may happen to lay his hands on, pays the same price, or sometimes even more, considering the scarcity, but walks away equally contented.
I have convinced myself that the very commonest goods only should be brought to this market, for every man may form an opinion of the manner of transacting business, and of the mode in which the merchandize is treated. I am certain that an European, accustomed to the climate at an early age, and acquainted with the demands of the country, who might establish a commercial-house at Lobeid, and carry on his business with moderate caution, would realize a handsome fortune. But, as I have before said, an European would meet with difficulties, and irksome trials in this undertaking, unknown to the natives. The time for engaging in a speculation of this description is now at hand, for Mehemed Ali is about to throw the trade open.
The currency of the country is that of Egypt, a piaster being equal to three-pence-halfpenny English. The Maria Theresia dollar, column-dollars, and five franc pieces, of which there are three varieties, are taken at an estimate of twenty piasters each, although they virtually differ in value. The dollars, however, when in request for purchases in Darfour, are paid with twenty-two, twenty-three, and even twenty-four piasters; in examining them, the natives do not look to the seven points in the clasp, or the nine points in the diadem, nor to the letters “S. F.” as is the case in Abyssinia. No copper circulates, and very few silver piasters, so that, indeed, in purchasing single piasters, one piaster, agio, is paid for nine pieces. In addition to this coin, there is a small coin of iron, named hashias, in circulation, struck during the reign of the sultan of Darfûr, which has continued in currency since that period: it is a small piece of iron, from two to three inches in length, and of the form of an obtuse bibrachial anchor. 150 of these pieces were formerly considered equivalent to one dollar; they subsequently fell in value to 250, and their present currency is 800 to the dollar, or one para each. The weight is the same as in Egypt, viz. 1 cantaro, equal to 100, or to 112 rottoli, or to forty-four oock’ckah’s. The rottolo is = 144 oz., the oock’ckah equal to 400 dir’hems. Forty-four oock’ckahs constitute about one hundred weight. The measure for corn is the ardeb of twenty-four mith, two ardebs are equivalent to three stajo of Trieste.
Common cottons will pass from hand to hand as currency, and in small dealings half a gourd of dockn, or two handfulls may be substituted for cash. The yard-measure in use among the natives, is the distance from the elbow to the index-finger, adding four finger breadths.