9. Every village is obliged to pay annually a certain sum in corn, Dokn, which is collected by the king’s slaves. The monarch has also lands of his own, which are cultivated by his slaves, and which serve to supply his houshold; for, though a merchant, he does not sell corn. The whole of the district of Gebel Marra, to the West, is entirely appropriated to his use, and the wheat, wild honey, &c. which are abundantly produced there are all reserved for his table.
10. The king is chief merchant in the country, and not only dispatches with every caravan to Egypt a great quantity of his own merchandise, but also employs his slaves and dependents to trade with the goods of Egypt, on his own account, in the countries adjacent to Soudan.
Articles of Commerce.
Gold rings are sometimes worn in the nose by women of distinction. Sea-shells (Cowries) are among other female ornaments, but not very current. The red legumen, called Shûsh, is much worn in the hair.
Commodities brought by the Jelabs from Egypt are:
| 1. | Amber beads. |
| 2. | Tin, in small bars. |
| 3. | Coral beads. |
| 4. | Cornelian ditto. |
| 5. | False Cornelian ditto. |
| 6. | Beads of Venice. |
| 7. | Agate. |
| 8. | Rings, silver and brass, for the ancles and wrists. |
| 9. | Carpets, small. |
| 10. | Blue cotton cloths of Egyptian fabric. |
| 11. | White cotton ditto. |
| 12. | Indian muslins and cottons. |
| 13. | Blue and white cloths of Egypt called Melayés. |
| 14. | Sword blades, strait, (German,) from Kahira. |
| 15. | Small looking-glasses. |
| 16. | Copper face-pieces, or defensive armour for the horses’ heads. |
| 17. | Fire arms. |
| 18. | Kohhel for the eyes. |
| 19. | Rhéa, a kind of moss from European Turkey, for food, and a scent. |
| 20. | Shé, a species of absynthium, for its odour, and as a remedy: both the last sell to advantage. |
| 21. | Coffee. |
| 22. | Mahleb, Krumphille, Symbille, Sandal, Nutmegs. |
| 23. | Dufr, the shell of a kind of fish in the Red Sea, used for a perfume. |
| 24. | Silk unwrought. |
| 25. | Wire, brass and iron. |
| 26. | Coarse glass beads, made at Jerusalem, called Hersh and Munjûr. |
| 27. | Copper culinary utensils, for which the demand is small. |
| 28. | Old copper for melting and re-working. |
| 29. | Small red caps of Barbary. |
| 30. | Thread linens of Egypt—small consumption. |
| 31. | Light French cloths, made into Benîshes. |
| 32. | Silks of Scio, made up. |
| 33. | Silk and cotton pieces of Aleppo, Damascus, &c. |
| 34. | Shoes of red leather. |
| 35. | Black pepper. |
| 36. | Writing paper, (papier des trois lunes,) a considerable article. |
| 37. | Soap of Syria. |
Transported to Egypt:
| 1. | Slaves, male and female. |
| 2. | Camels. |
| 3. | Ivory. |
| 4. | Horns of the rhinoceros. |
| 5. | Teeth of the hippopotamus. |
| 6. | Ostrich feathers. |
| 7. | Whips of the hippopotamus’s hide. |
| 8. | Gum. |
| 9. | Pimento. |
| 10. | Tamarinds, made into round cakes. |
| 11. | Leather sacks for water (ray) and dry articles (geraub). |
| 12. | Peroquets in abundance, and some monkeys and Guinea fowl. |
| 13. | Copper, white, in small quantity. |