Trade of the U. Kingdom with Egypt in 1857.

An Account of the Quantities and Computed Values of the Principal Articles imported into the U. Kingdom from Egypt in 1854, 1855, 1856, and 1857.

Account of the Quantities and Declared Values of the Principal Articles of British and Irish Produce exported from the U. Kingdom to Egypt in 1854, 1855, 1856, and 1857.

For the most part in transit from India, &c.
с

zaidino = 1·335 lb. ditto; 1 rottolo zauro or zaro=2-07 lbs. disto; 1 rottolo mina = 1·67 lb. ditto.-(Manuel Universel de Nelkenbrecher.)

Duties. With the exception of the arbitrary principles on which the government sometimes fixes the prices of commodities, there is nothing objectionable in their policy as to commerce. The duties on imports are only 3 per cent. We believe, however, that a small increase of the customs duty would compensate the government for the abolition of other oppressive charges, and there can be little doubt that the country would be materially benefited by the change.

Pilotage. The pilotage paid by ships of war, for being brought into the W. harbour is 5 dollars, and 4 dollars for being taken out of do. Merchant-vessels pay 3 dollars both on entering and clearing. The pilot-service, though not exempted from defects, is tolerably well conducted. It would be conve nient were pilots stationed nearer the entrance of the port, at Marabout Island for example, or at the watering-place.

Quarantine. Merchant vessels coming with foul bills of health perform 15 days' quarantine, whether with or without cargo. When the bills are "suspected," the quarantine is 15 days, if with cargo, and 10 days if in ballast. But a vessel may be admitted to free-pratique 10 days after the total discharge of her cargo. The period of quarantine for goods is 20 days. Ships of war, bringing foul bills, perform 12 days: with "suspected" bills, 7 days.

nage.

Bills of health for vessels bound to the Levant, 1 to 24 piast. according to size of vessel.

Travellers in Lazaretto pay for the guard 10 piast, per day, and 15 piast. for the whole term, as rent of room, and price of fumigations.

Usages of the Port.-The general usage of the port in loading and unloading vessels, when no clause of the charterparty exists to the contrary, is that Inward cargoes are landed into the Custom-house, at the ship's expense. As regards Outward cargoes, cotton is taken from the Shoona (warehouse) at the cost of the merchant, and is delivered to the ship master on the quay. The charges for porterage, marking, sacking and commission, come to 1 piast. per bale. The ship's subsequent outlay for pressing, lighterage, stowage, &c. is 7 or 8 piast, per bale.

Corn, seeds, &c. are shipped at the charge of the merchant, at the cost of 27 paras per ardeb.

Flax is delivered by the merchant on the quay, and his outlay is much the same as on cotton. This article is not pressed,

and the ship's expenses for lighterage and stowage are about 2 piast. per bale.

The charge of lighters is 9 or 10 piast. per diem. Arabs working on board in stowing, &c. are paid 6 plast. per do.

It often occurs that lighters left in the charge of vessels whilst loading meet with injury. In that case the Arab owners apply against the master, and recover.

Most cargoes of corn, &c. are taken from the Pacha's Shoona, and a clause in the charterparties generally obliges the ship to conform to its distribution. That is effected by the re ceivers being classed and drawing lots for priority.

There is a fine claimed against vessels that discharge their ballast into the harbour, instead of causing it to be taken on to a place appointed.

Charges on business at Alexandria, are as follow.

Custom duties

ON BUYING.

House and street brokerage
Commission on purchasing
Commission on drafts.
Brokerage 1 per mil. on ditto.

Warehouse rent never incurred on government
produce, which is shipped from the Shoona.
When other produce is stored, the rent depends
on the time and on the bulk of the goods.
Shipping Charges:-

On Government cotton, piast. 1} per bale.
Private ditto, 1 piast. 30 paras, do.
Government corn, 27 paras per ardeb.
Private ditto, piast. 2, per ardeb.
Governinent flax, piast. 13, per cant.
Private ditto, piast. 2, per cant.
Gums, barrels, 18 to 19 piast.
Other charges, 4 piast. 20 paras.

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Policy of Mehemet Ali. It is much to be regretted that Mehemet Ali, who was in many respects one of the most extraordinary men of his age, should have had no just conception of the principles by the adoption of which his plans of improvement might have been perpetuated, and industry established on a solid foundation. He interfered with everything, and left as little as possible to the discretion and enterprise of individuals. He may, indeed, be said to have been the sole proprietor, manufacturer, farmer-general, and wholesale merchant in his dominions. It was, no doubt, stipulated in the treaty concluded between this country and the Turkish government in 1838, the provisions of which extend to Egypt, that the monopolies which previously existed in the different parts of the Turkish empire should all be abolished, and that, in future, all parties should be at liberty to buy and sell all descriptions of produce at such prices and in such a way as they thought fit. This stipulation has, however, been of little consequence in Egypt; for, as the largest and best portion of the land has become the property of the Pacha or his dependents, and the taxes are mostly all paid in produce, the government continues, in effect, in possession of its old monopoly of the produce of the country, and has power to determine the price at which it shall be sold. A system of this sort is injurious alike to the interests of the producers and merchants; inasmuch as they are both liable to have their plans and speculations deranged by the caprices and regulations of those in authority. It is difficult, however, to suggest any means by which this inconvenience might be avoided; and it is much to be regretted that, when the European powers dictated the terms on which the Pacha and his family should hold the country, they did not make some stipulations in favour of the rights of the population; which, had they been properly devised, would have been as much for the advantage of the Pachas as of their subjects.

Ancient Trade of Alexandria. As already remarked, Alexandria was, for a long series of years, first under the Greek successors of Alexander, and subsequently under the Romans, the principal entrepôt of the ancient world. Most part of the traffic between Asia and Europe that had at a more early period centered at Tyre, was gradually diverted to this new emporium. An intercourse between the ports on the eastern coast of Egypt, and those on the opposite coast of Arabia, had subsisted from a very early period. That between Egypt and India was more recent. It was at first carried on by ships, which having sailed down the Red Sea from Myos Hormos and Berenice, coasted along the Arabian shores till they reached Cape Rasselgate, whence a short course brought them to India near the mouth of the river Indus. This was the course followed during the dynasty of the Ptolemies: but about 80 years after Egypt had been annexed to the Roman empire, Hippalus, the commander of an Egyptian ship trading to India, having observed the regular shifting of the trade winds, ventured to sail with the western monsoon from the Straits of Babelmandeb right across the Atlantic Ocean; and was fortunate enough, after a prosperous voyage, to arrive at Musiris, in that part of India now known by the name of the Malabar coast. Having taken on board a cargo of Indian produce, Hippalus returned in safety with the eastern monsoon to Egypt. This discovery was deemed of so much importance, that the name of the

discoverer was given to the wind which had carried him across the ocean to India; and how trifling soever this voyage may now appear, those who consider that Hippalus had no compass by which to direct his course, and that, owing to this circumstance, and the otherwise imperfect state of the art of navigation, the ancients seldom ventured out of sight of land, even in seas with which they were well acquainted, will be forward to admit that his enterprise and daring were no wise inferior to his success; and that he was well entitled to the gratitude of his contemporaries, and the respect of posterity.

From the epoch of this discovery, fleets traded periodically from Egypt to Musiris, conveying the products of Europe to India, and conversely. The Indian goods having been landed at Myos Hormos and Berenice were thence conveyed by caravans to Coptos (the modern Kenné), on the Nile, where they were put on board lighters and sent to Alexandria, whence they were distributed all over the western world. The goods sent to India were conveyed to Myos Hormos and Berenice by the same route. Myos Hormos was situated on the shore of the Arabian gulph, about a degree to the north of the modern port of Cosseir. The distance from it to Coptos, in a straight line, is about 70 English miles. Berenice was situated a good way further south, being nearly under the tropic. It was built by Ptolemy Philadelphus. Its distance from Coptos is stated by Pliny at 258 Roman miles; the different restingplaces on the road were determined by the wells, and the journey occupied about 12 days. Ptolemy seems to have preferred this station to Myos Hormes, though the land carriage to Coptos was so much further, from its greater proximity to the Straits of Babelmandeb, and its lessening the voyage up the

Red Sea.

Pliny says that the cost of the Indian commodities brought to Rome through Alexandria was increased a hundred fold (centuplicato vencant) by the expense of carriage, &c. We suspect, however, that this is a rhetorical exaggeration, meaning merely that their price was very materially enhanced. If the increase was anything like that mentioned, it must have been owing to the imposition of oppressive tolls and duties, for it could not possibly have been occasioned by the mere expenses of conveyance."— (Plin. Hist. Nat. lib. vi. cap. 23.; Ameithon, Commerce des Egyptiens, pp. 161 176, &c.; Robertson's Ancient India, note 20, &c.)

Besides this important traffic, which supplied Rome and the western world with the silks, spices, precious stones, and other products of Arabia and India, a great trade in corn was carried on from Alexandria to Rome. Egypt, for a lengthened period, constituted the granary from which Rome, and afterwards Constantinople, drew the principal part of their supplies; and its possession was, on that account, reckoned of the utmost consequence. Augustus employed merchantmen of a larger size than any that had previously traded in the Mediterranean to convey the corn of Egypt to Ostia. They were escorted by ships of war. The fleet received the names of sacra and feliz embole; and enjoyed several peculiar privileges. The ships belonging to it were the only ones authorised to hoist the small sail called supparum, when they drew near the coasts of Italy. Some of the fast-sailing vessels attached to the fleet were sent on before, to give notice of its approach; and a deputation of senators went down to Ostia to receive the ships, which anchored amid the acclamations of an immense number of spectators. The captains were obliged to make oath that the corn on board their ships was that which had been delivered to them in Egypt, and that the cargoes were entire as shipped. (Huet, Commerce et Navigation des Anciens, cap. xlviii.; Seneca Epist. cap. lxxvii; and the chapter on the Commerce of the Romans in the volume of Treatises by the author of this work, 2nd ed. 1859.)

Intercourse with India through Alexandria.-Those few details will, perhaps, serve to give a faint idea of the importance of Alexandria in the commerce of antiquity. It is impossible, indeed, for any one to glance at a map of the world, or of the ancient hemisphere, and not to perceive that Egypt is the natural entrepôt of the commerce between Europe and all the vast countries stretching E. from Arabia to China. The discovery of the route to India by the Cape of Good Hope, in 1498, must, no doubt, have, under any circumstances, diverted a considerable portion of the trade with the western states of Europe, and in the heavier and bulkier class of articles, into a new channel. It is, however, abundantly certain, that had the same facilities for conducting the trade with the East existed in Egypt in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries that existed in it in antiquity, she would have continued to be the centre of the trade for all the lighter and more valuable products, and the route of the greater number of the individuals passing between Europe and Asia. But the lawless and arbitrary dominion of the Mamelukes, who loaded all individuals passing through the country with oppressive exactions, at the same time that they treated all foreigners, and especially Christians, with insolence and contempt, put an entire stop to the intercourse so long carried on by this shortest, most direct, and most convenient route. Happily, however, a new æra has begun, and Egyp thas once more become the grand thoroughfare of the eastern and western worlds. After good order and a regular government had been introduced into Egypt by Mehemet Ali, it was seen that it might be again made the channel of communication with India; and the importance of facilitating the intercourse with that continent forcibly attracted the attention of the British government and the East India Company. The establishment of a steam communication between Europe and Southern Asia, by way of Alexandria and Suez, and the construction of a railway between these towns, are among the most striking and important events in recent times. They have shortened the journey to India from England more than a half, and rendered it comparatively safe and expeditious. We subjoin the following details.

Steam-ships conveying the mails leave Southampton for Gibraltar, Malta, and Alexandria, on the 4th, 12th, 20th, and 27th of every month. They generally arrive at Gibraltar in about 5 days; and after a few hours' stay proceed to Malta, which they reach in about 4 days more, arriving at Alexandria in about 13 days from Southampton. Those passengers who proceed by Marseilles, embark at that port on board steamers which convey them to Malta, where they join the steamers for Alexandria. On arriving at the latter, passengers are now (1859) conveyed by railway to Cairo, where they usually remain over night, and thence by railway to Suez. From the latter they are conveyed by steam-ships to Bombay, Ceylon, Madras, and Calcutta, or to Singapore and China. Another line of steamers sail from Aden to the Mauritius, and thence to Melbourne and other ports in Australia.

The existing (1859) rates of charge in the ships of the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Packet Company are as follows, viz. :

In the 16th century, the cost of Indian commodities brought to Western Europe by way of Alex. andria and Aleppo was about three times the cost of those brought by the Cape of Good Hope. (See post, EAST INDIA COMPANY, History of.) But Egypt was then occupied by the Mamelukes and Turks who threw every sort of obstacle in the way of commerce, and loaded it with the most oppressive exactions.

II. Rates of Passage, including the Amount paid by the Company to the Egyptian Transit Administration, for Conveyance of Passengers through Egypt.

First-class passengers are allowed 3 cwt. of personal baggage free of freight, and children (above three years) and servants 14 cwt. each.

A passenger taking a whole cabin will be entitled to take in the steamers, free of freight, 4 cwt.; and a married couple, paying for reserved accommodation, will be entitled to take 9 cwt.

The charge for conveyance of extra baggage, should there be room in the vessel, will be at the rate of 17. per cwt. between Southampton, Gibraltar, Malta, or Alexandria: 27. per cwt. between Suez and India, and 37. per cwt. between Suez, Mauritius, Australia, the Straits. and China.

Passengers passing through Egypt will have to pay the Egyptian Transit Administration, 14s. per cwt., for conveyance of baggage through, should it exceed, for first-class passengers, 3 cwt. each, and children and servants, 14 cwt. each. This amount is collected on board the company's steamers for the convenience of passengers.

Ac

Canal between the Nile and the Red Sea. It is affirmed, that had it not been for the hostilities in which the late Pacha was almost always engaged, he would have attempted to reopen the famous canal that formerly connected the Red Sea and the Nile. cording to Herodotus, this canal was commenced by Nechos, king of Egypt, and finished by Darius (lib. ii. § 158. iv. 39.). Under the Ptolemies, by whom, according to some authorities, it was completed, this canal became an important channel of communication. It joined the E., or Pelusiac branch of the Nile at Bubastis, the ruins of which still remain; it thence proceeded E. to the bitter or natron lakes of Temrah and Cheik-Aneded, whence it followed a nearly S. direction to its junction with the Red Sea at Arsinoe, either at or near where Suez now stands. It is said by Strabo (lib. xvii. p. 805.) to have been 1000 stadia (122 m.) in length; but if we measure it on the best modern maps, it could hardly have exceeded from 85 to 95 miles. Herodotus says that it was wide enough to admit two triremes sailing abreast. This great work having fallen into decay after the downfal of the Ptolemaic dynasty, was renovated either by Trajan or Adrian; and it was finally renewed by Amrou, the general of the caliph Omar, the conqueror of Egypt, anno 639 (Herodote, par Larcher, iii, 450.). The French engineers traced the remains of this great work for a considerable distance; and but for the construction of a railway from Suez to Cairo, it would probably have been reopened.

It

But the formation of the latter, and its recent extension to Alexandria, will, most likely, put an end to all attempts to join the Red Sea and the Nile by a canal. would, however, be of immense consequence to the trade and civilisation of the world, were it practicable to construct a canal between the Red Sea and the Mediterranean that should admit of large ships passing easily from the one to the other; and if we look at the map only we should think that this is an undertaking that might be accomplished without much difficulty. Such, however, is not really the case; and we much fear that the obstacles in its way are really insurmountable. This, at all events, is the well considered opinion of Mr. Robert Stephenson, the highest authority upon such subjects to whom an appeal can be made. We regret that it should be so. Being the greatest commercial nation in the world, and having a vast intercourse with and interest in India, the completion of a canal such as has been referred to would have been of ten times more advantage to us than to any other nation.

ALICANT, a sea-port town of Spain, in Valencia, lat. 38° 20′ 41′′ N., long. 0° 30' W. Population about 25,000.

The port is an open and spacious bay, between Cape de la Huerta on the north-east, and Isla Plana on the south, distant from each other S. W. and N. E. about 10 miles. Ships may enter on any course between these points, steering direct for the castle, which stands on an eminence about 400 feet high. Those of considerable burden moor N. and S. distant from 4 to 1 mile from shore, in from 4 to 8 fathoms water; they are exposed to all winds, from E. N. E. to S. by W.; but the holding ground is good, and there is no instance during the last twenty years of a ship having been driven from her moorings.

* Except transit expenses through Egypt, if above 2 years.

Vessels drawing from 15 to 18 feet water may lie alongside the mole, a government work of great importance to the town, which has been projected about 600 yards into the sea. There are no pilots. The trade of Alicant has considerably increased of late years, and would be much greater but for the oppressive discriminating duties laid on the importation of most articles of foreign produce into Spain (see CADIZ), and the extensive smuggling carried on from Gibraltar, Algiers, &c.

Raisins form the great article of export; and their produce has increased rapidly of late years. They are principally taken off by England. Of the other articles of export the principal are silk, wool, barilla, almonds, wine, salt, oil, lead, mats, saffron, brandy, liquorice, anise, &c. The exportation of barilla, which formerly amounted to from 50,000 to 100,000 cwt., has declined, partly from its having been largely adulterated, but principally from its being to a great extent superseded by soude factice (artificial soda), to little more than 20,000 cwt. The ordinary imports cousist principally of sugar, coffee, cocoa, and other colonial products; cotton, and linen stuffs, and other manufactured goods, from England and France, but these are mostly imported on Spanish bottoms to avoid the differential duties. Among the other articles are salted fish, tobacco, iron and hardware, deals and tar, &c. Within the last few years large quantities of rails have been imported both here and at Valencia for constructing the railways from the latter and Alicant to Almanza and thence to Madrid, which will add greatly to the trade of the ports referred to. The rails, with coal, coke, locomotive engines and machinery of all sorts, are brought from England. The value of our direct legitimate imports into Alicant in 1857 were returned at 206,1437. the port having been visited in the same year by 136 British ships of the aggregate burthen of 24,487 tons. But it is impossible to form any estimate of the imports from official or other returns, as by far the largest portion are supplied clandestinely. Indeed, the whole population of this part of Spain are clothed in prohibited articles, which are sold as openly in the towns as if they were of Spanish manufacture! Alicant has a considerable trade with Marseilles, and with Valencia, Barcelona, and other ports on the E. coast of Spain, as well as with Gibraltar and the principal ports on North Africa, &c. An Associacion Britanica has been formed in this port for smelting and refining the rich argentiferous lead ores of Almagrera and other parts of the province of Murcia. The manufacture of woollens is carried on pretty extensively at Alcoy, 23 miles N. from Alicant; but they are coarse and of inferior quality.

Port Charges on Shipping entering and clearing out.

N.B.-A vessel of 300 tons pays the maximum rate. One of less burthen pays proportionally less.
Spanish Vessels of 300 Tons.

Foreign Vessels of 300 Tons.

Tarifa light in and out, 48 maravedis
per ton (300 tons)

Equal to 101. 108. sterling.

28

Tarifa light in and out, 24 maravedis

Equal to 61. 10s. sterling - 647

Custom-house Regulations. A manifest of the cargo, the ship's tonnage and number of crew, must be presented within 21 hours after pratique being given, when two officers are put on board to prevent smuggling. The consignees then make entry of the articles consigned to them, and obtain an order to discharge from the collector, or custom-house authorities, a certificate of origin from the Spanish consul at the port of lading being no longer requisite. To load the whole or part of an outward cargo, the master reports his intention to the collector, who gives his order permitting goods to be shipped, and the shippers make their specific entries. When the vessel is loaded, the waiting officers make their return to the collector; who, on being pre-ented with the receipts of the captain of the port and of the Pratique office for their respective charges, grants his clearance, upon which a bill of health is obtained, and the vessel is clear for sea.

Warehousing System. - Goods legally imported may be de. posited in bonded warehouses for twelve months,paying, in lieu of all charges, 2 per cent. ad valorem, but at the end of the year they must be either taken for home consumption or reshipped. The 2 per cent. is charged, whether the goods lie for a day or the whole year. In charging duties, no allowance is made for waste or damage in the warehouses.

Rates of Commission are usually 2 per cent. on sales and purchases; per cent. is commonly charged on the negotiation of bills. Goods are commonly sold at 3 months' credit. Ordinary discount at the rate of 6 per cent. per annum.

Alicant is not a favourable place for repairing ships, and provisions of all sorts are scarce and dear.

Vessels with foul bills of health, or coming from an infected or suspected place, though with clean bills, are usually ordered to Port Mahon to perform quarantine. But vessels coming with clean bills obtain, under ordinary circumstances, im mediate pratique.

Money. Accounts are kept in libras of 20 sueldos; each sueldo containing 12 dineros; the libra, also called the peso, 10 reals; and a real of Alicant = 27.2 maravedis of plate, or 51-2 maravedis vellon. The libra may be valued at 38. 6d. sterling, and the real at 41d. ditto.

Weights and Measures. The carga = 24 quintals = 10 arrobas. The arroba consists either of 24 large pounds, or of 36 small ditto; the latter having 12 Castilian ounces to the pound, the former 18. The arroba = 271bs, 6 oz. avo rdupois; but at the custom-house the arroba 25 lbs. of 16 oz. each, The principal corn measure is the cahiz or cathise, con. taining 12 barchillas, 96 medios, or 197 quartillos. The cahiz 7 Winch, bushels nearly.

The principal liquid measure is the cantaro of 8 medios, or 16 quartillos. The cantaro = 3·05 English wine gallons. The tonnelada or ton contains 2 pipes, 80 arrobas, or 100

cantaros.

The yard or vara, divided into 4 palmos, is = 29·96, or very nearly 30 English inches.

ALIENS. According to the strict sense of the term, and the interpretation of the common law, all individuals born out of the dominions of the crown of England (alibi natus) are aliens or foreigners.

It is obvious, however, that this strict interpretation could not be maintained without very great inconvenience; and the necessity of making exceptions in favour of the children born of native parents resident in foreign countries was early recognised. The 25 Edw. 3. stat. 2. enacts, that all children born abroad, provided both the parents were at the time of their birth in allegiance to the king, and the mother had passed the seas by her husband's consent, might inherit as if born in England. And this relaxation has been carried still further by several modern statutes: so that all children born out of the king's ligeance, whose fathers, or grandfathers by the father's side, were natural-born subjects, are now deemed to be themselves natural-born subjects; unless their ancestors were outlawed, or banished beyond sea for high treason, or were, at the birth of such children, in the service of a prince at enmity with Great Britain.

Naturalisation of Aliens. Aliens may be naturalised by act of parliament, which puts them in exactly the same condition as natural-born subjects, except that they are incapable of being members of the privy council, of being elected to serve in parliament, or of holding any office of trust under the crown.