whole free population gained on the servile, the whole colored gained a little on the white.

The age of sixteen continued to divide the white population into two nearly equal parts, but the small excess of those under that age continued to diminish, thus:

which shows the proportion under sixteen to be 50.03 per cent. But as the proportion of the females under that age was greater than that of males, the former being 50.26 and the latter 49.69, we may infer that if there were no migration to the United States, which consists more of adults and of males, than of children and females, an age somewhat below sixteen would constitute the point of equal division.

The distribution of the white population, according to age, differs little from that shown by the preceding census, viz:

The proportion of males to females in the white population was as 100 to 96.2, showing an increase of females of 1.1 per cent since the census of 1800.

At the different ages specified in the census, the proportions of the sexes were as follows, viz:

Under ten, the males to the females were as 100 to 94.8

which proportions exhibit the same features of irregularity as those of the preceding census.

The number of white females between the ages of sixteen and forty-five, was 1,106,212, which is 18.87 per cent of the whole white population, showing a very small variation from the proportion exhibited by the preceding census.

The following table shows the number of whites, free colored, and slaves, in the slaveholding states and territories, on the 1st of August, 1810, with the relative proportions of each:

TOTAL.........

3,480,904 2,208,785 108,265 1,163,854 63.5 3.1

It appears from the preceding table that both descriptions of the colored population in these states had gained on the whites in the preceding ten years, and that the slaves which in 1800 had constituted a little less than a third of their aggregate number, now amounted to a little more than a third.

7,585

34,660

44.8 9.9

45.3

607 3,011

82.6 2.9

14.4

33.4

ART. II.-THE COMMERCE OF SYRIA.-No. II.*

ARTICLES OF TRADE IN SYRIA.

Timber. The forests of Northern Syria have been of late years drawn upon for large supplies of timber, both for public and private purposes. The mountains back of Scanderoon supply the arsenals of Alexandria, and could supply much larger quantities if the mountains were less steep, and there were any roads. For this reason, too, the mountains of Byass are better timbered than those of Beilan, &c., (which are more accessible from the sea,) both as to variety, quantity, and size of timber. The trees on them are white and yellow pine, of lengths from 100 to 150 feet, and of dimensions, to take a square of from 24 to 25 inches, say yellow oak, 80 feet, and 18 to 20 inches in square; green oak, 18 to 20 feet, and 7 to 9 inches in square; beech, 30 to 35 feet, by 14 to 15 inches square; linden, 40 to 50 feet, by 25 to 27 inches in square. The pine is mostly knotty, but very full of turpentine. The oaks of both species are straight. grained, like the American. The beech is of good, close-grained quality, but not nearly so plentiful as the other two. The linden-tree is scarce. In 1838, about 150 woodcutters and 300 trimmers and dressers were employed, and about 50,000 trees cut and brought down; but 10,000, cut in 1837 and 1838, were abandoned from the difficulties of transport and want of roads, which could not be made for less than 15 or 20,000 dollars. An axe-man earns 21 piastres per day, and the trimmers and dressers about 3 piastres; but if the tree is unsound it is their loss. 70,000 to 80,000 trees were shipped in 1838 to Alexandria, say 14,000 tons. Timber 15 to 18 inches square, prepared for the saw or for working, stands in, ready for

* Concluded from page 511, Vol. VI.

shipment, about 1 piastre per foot. Inch-planks 25 to 30 feet long, and over a foot broad, cost 3 to 3 piastres each, or a little more than a farthing per foot.

Cotton. That of Northern Syria is fine, but of a short staple, and only adapted to the most ordinary purposes; the greater part is much inferior to the Souboujas, from near Smyrna, and generally equal to the middling and inferior qualities of Kennie and Bainder. It is seldom sent to the English market, but to the Italian, French, and German ports. That of Aleppo is best, of Edlip, inferior, of Beld, Azass, and Aintab worse, and of Killis, worst. The average export to Europe is 500 to 600 cantars per annum; and 80 to 100 cantars have gone during the last three years to Mesopotamia. Its cultivation is the chief agricultural employment in the district of Adana, and cotton is the principal export of that district; a middling crop is 10 to 12,000 cantars, an abundant one 18, and even 20,000, of which 1,000 to 2,000 are annually exported to Europe; 5,000 to Romelia and the Archipelago, also to Smyrna, where it is mixed and sold for Smyrna cotton. 6 to 7,000 cantars are sent to Kaissarieh, where the country merchants resort, and whence the borders of the Black Sea are supplied, some of the Adana cotton being exported also from Sinope to Russia. 5,000 cantars are sent to different parts of Anatolia, (i. e. Asia Minor,) a large quantity to Mousnel, Diarbekir, Orfa, Merdin, &c. and 100 to 150 cantars to Syria. The total value of cotton produced in Adana and Northern Syria, is about 24,000,000 piastres, or $1,200,000. In the Nabulus district, in Palestine, 4,500 to 5,000 cantars are annually produced, about three fourths of which are exported. Acre and Jaffa also produce some. On the whole, Northern and Southern Syria may be estimated to produce 30 to 35,000 cantars, at an average value of 350,000 pounds sterling; but the production may be almost indefinitely increased by additional capital and labor.

Silk.-The mulberry flourishes admirably on the coast and through the more fertile parts of the Lebanon range, and the cultivation of silk spreads rapidly about Beyroot. The peasantry get one fourth of the silk for taking care of the worms and reeling; the landholder providing leaves and sheds, which are a simple structure of reeds, without a roof. The cultivation might be indefinitely extended, and silk might supply, in a greater degree, the great desideratum of Syrian trade, viz, articles of export. The silk of Antioch, Suedich, and their environs, 180 to 220 cantars, is brought to Aleppo, which consumes 75 to 80 cantars. Aleppo also receives 35 to 40 cantars from Amassir, and from Beyroot, Tripoli, and Mt. Lebanon, 70 to 80 cantars. In 1836, 20 cantars went to England, 30 to France, 50 to Genoa and Leghorn. The silk is worth 300 to 380 piastres per 1000 drams.

The staple is good, the growth of the worm being nourished by a mulberry leaf well adapted to its nature; but it is wound off coarsely and in long reel, which unfits it for the best purposes in Europe. The introduction of the short reel would increase the export vastly; but Syria has entirely neglected to follow the example of the French and Italians in meliorating the quality of her raw silk.

Tripoli and its vicinity furnished, in 1836, 421 bales, weighing 157 cantars, for exportation, 233 to Marseilles, 141 to Leghorn, 12 to Trieste, 16 to Egypt, and 171⁄2 to Aleppo; and the prices ruled from 95 to 105 piastres per oke; it was in 1839, 120 to 140 piastres per oke. An abundant

crop for the Tripolitan district is 400 cantars; most of which is sold for Beirut, Hamah, and Homs, and some is manufactured at Tripoli; most of what goes to Beirut is shipped to France and Italy. Exclusive of the Tripoli district, Mt. Lebanon produces 1,200 cantars annually, or 240,000 okes, at 120 to 125 piastres per oke; two thirds are exported. The consumption of British cottons having slackened the demand for silk for the interior, silk cultivation is rather on the decline.

Wool.-Fifteen hundred cantars are got in Aleppo and its environs, one tenth of which it makes into a felt (ketgzes) for carpets, horse coverings, packings for goods, also into stocking yarn, surtouts, &c. The consumption in Mt. Lebanon, Homs, Hamah, Marash, Aintab, and the environs, is about 800 cantars. 700 to 900 cantars are sent to Europe; the quality is gen erally fine, but it is unclean and mixed, worth in its gross state about 160 piastres per cantar. Its high price, and mixed and foul condition, prevent its export to Britain, and it is chiefly sent to France and Italy. 80 to 100 cantars are collected and consumed in the Tripoli district. The nomade tribes bring some to Hamah, Homs, or Aleppo, which is not all consumed. In 1837-8, Tripoli, which purchases thence, sent 115 cantars to Leghorn, 72 to Trieste, and 8 to Marseilles. In 1838, the price was 700, and in 1839, 800 piastres per cantar of 180 okes. The wool trade to England might become important, but the Syrian flocks far from suffice for food to the people; Aleppo alone annually consumes 55,000 to 60,000 sheep, 20,000 of which come from Erzeroum, and the rest from the nomade tribes. 80,000 go from Erzeroum and Mesopotamia to Hamah, Homs, Damascus, and the south, and are sold at 65 to 80 piastres each, averaging 70 piastres, making a total of 5,600,000 piastres, partly for cash and partly on credit.

Olive-oil. The olive tree yields, at most, an abundant crop every other year; sometimes only once in four years. 8 to 10,000 cantars of oil are used at Aleppo, 5,000 of which are got from the environs. Damascus consumes, for soap-boiling, burning, and eating, 4,800 to 5,000 cantars, one fourth of which is from the environs, and three fourths from Safid, Nabulus, and the southward. Ibrahim extended the cultivation of the olive, and introduced an improved mode of expressing the oil. French oil-presses have lately been used with success.

Wine. This might be made valuable, both for consumption and export. Some convents on Lebanon produce the "Vino d'Oro," a wine of excellent quality. But the habit of boiling wine is almost universal, and destroys its character; and the use of skins is unfavorable to the preservation of the finer characteristics.

Madder-roots are but partially cultivated; some in the Aleppo district, more in that of Damascus, and most at Nebk; a little also in the plains of Homs and Hamah, and at Aleppo; in all 70 to 80 cantars are grown, 25 to 30 or 35 of which are consumed at Aleppo, 30 to 35 are sent to Mesopotamia, and the price is 2 piastres per oke, or 4 per rottolo. A great deal is produced at Karaman, Nekde, Akserail, and some near Kaisserieh; but the greater quantity is cultivated at Erehli, two days' journey on the other side of Mt. Taurus, on the road to Constantinople, by way of Adana, and may be transported conveniently for shipment to Tarsous. The annual produce is 300 cantars, and the average price 1 to 13 piastres per oke. When Dutch and French madders are high in Europe, and principally in England, and the crop at Yourdes, in the Saroukan Sandjak, is

large, it supplies Smyrna for shipment to England; and madders, both from Erehli and Cyprus, are purchased for the European markets. Madders might be largely produced in Syria; they grow abundantly, and almost without cultivation, as well as on the mountains of Cyprus, whence they are received in bulk, and packed in bales at Beirut for England and Europe.

Yellow-berries.-Many fruitless attempts have been made to cultivate this berry, which grows wild in the mountains near Antioch, but must be cultivated to become merchantable. But neither from the indigenous tree, nor from the gardens of Kaisserieh, where it is produced in the highest perfection, have the efforts succeeded to extend its cultivation.

Indigo grows wild in several parts of Palestine, but attention seems not to have been given to its cultivation or collection.

Sugar. The sugar-cane has been partially cultivated near Beirut. It was extensively cultivated in the time of the crusaders, in the sultry but well-watered plains of Jericho, where are still ruins of several sugar mills. There appears no reason to doubt the aptitude of the soil for its production in many parts of the country.

Cochineal.—Ibrahim successfully introduced the cochineal near Tripoli, where the cactus, on which the insect feeds, thrives very well.

Goats' wool. This comes from Erzroom, Kaisserieh, Karpout, Malatia, Diarbekir, Aintab, and a little from Antioch. There are fine qualities from each of these places; the best is of Karpout, Aintab, and Antioch, the latter especially, which is also much the cleanest, and equal to what is shipped from Smyrna; but from want of knowledge, and of persons to clean and work it at Aleppo, it is not prepared in an equally fine state. Most of it goes to Italy, and a little went to France in 1836. About 7,970 rottoli were imported into Aleppo, and the whole was exported in a clean state, amounting to about 6,976 rottoli. Inferior qualities, in the gross state, are worth 15 piastres per rottolo, and 17 clean; the best, 2,100 piastres per cantar, and 2,250 cleaned-or 21 and 224 piastres per rottolo. English merchants have not yet imported it to England.

Tobacco.—All the tobacco raised is consumed in the country or sent to Egypt, its use being universal, both by males and females. Next to wheat, it is the most important product, but it is impossible to estimate the amount. It is grown almost everywhere, but chiefly in Aleppo, Latakia, Tripoli, and Mount Lebanon, where are got the finest qualities. No tobacco is imported, and what is grown pays duty, on retiring it from the lands, of 34 piastres per cantar, and also 3 piastres per cantar on exportation. Damascus imported and used in 1836, 230,578 okes of tobacco, and 302,000 of tombag; in 1837, 190,577 okes, and 117,210 of tombag.

Hemp. In the Damascus district 1,200 to 1,500 loads are produced, at 60 piastres per load, amounting to from 900 to 1,000 cantars. About one half as much is produced in the Aleppo district. It is chiefly used for cords, twine, &c., and is not exported.

Beeswax.-200 to 250 cantars of yellow beeswax are annually collected in the Aleppo district, from Aintab, Killis, Antioch, Idlip, and their environs; 50 cantars are used in the manufactories and by the dyers, and as much by the population and in the Christian churches of Aleppo. 50 are used at Aintab, Killis, Antioch, and their environs. The export to Europe seldom exceeds 100 cantars, and varies, according to demand and price, from that to 50. The Tripoli district collects 100 cantars-barely