DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4023#0076
3o TRAVELS IN EGYPT
that he gives himself amongst his own people, do not permit him to conVerse
much with them: thus he pays for his grandeur by a very irksome life to a man
that would like society.
Iquit, for a moment, the French, but mail return to them in speaking of
their commerce. In the mean time, let us see how the English act. We have
nothing near so much to say of them as of the former. They have at Alexan-
dria no more than two merchants, of whom one is the consul, and is dependent
on that of Cairo. They keep tjiemselves quiet, and conduct themselves with-
out making much noise. If any nice affair is to be undertaken, they with-
draw themselves from it, and leave to the French the honour of removing all
difficulties.
When any benefit remits from it, they have their mare; and if affairs turn
out ill, they secure themselves in the best manner they can. This is all that
I can say of the nations establimed at Alexandria. There are no other but those
that I have mentioned. The French, however, protect an Italian, and some
Greeks, who pass for their own people. I am now going to conclude what
remains for me to say of the commerce of this nation.
T h e trade of the French is very coniiderable at Alexandria. They receive
every year several mips, which they freight with commodities, that are brought
from Cairo. The vessels they make use of for this intercourse, are feluccas,
barks, and tartanes. There go thither very few other vessels; because every
vessel, that does not bear a bowsprit, pays less for the maintenance of the ports,
&*c. They name them caravaniers, on account that, as the caravans, they go
from place to place, to take in a lading in the bell: manner they can. This
would be the place of speaking of the divers sorts of commodities, that the
French nation carries to Alexandria, and of those, that it draws from Egypt;
but, to say the truth, I do not recollect this affair sufficiently, to give it in detail
as is requisite ; and it is better to say nothing of it, than to speak of it imper-
fectly b. I chuse therefore to touch on the question, that I promised to explain ;
namely, why the French are obliged to raise the price of their commodities.
We need not search for the cause in any thing else than the idle expences, to
which that nation is exposed; for beiides that all mips pay a pretty great duty
of consulship ; they are moreover obliged to pay a certain tax, that is imposed,
either upon vessels, or upon goods. This tax is destined to supply the charges
that the common safety requires; and to indemnify the several persons who have
h F. Vansleb gives the following account. ^ this haven heretofore: for monsieur Lucasole,
"The trade of the French merchants in this city, who did the office of chancellor of the French
is the greatest that they have in all the eastern parts ; nation, told me that he remembers that there have
for there is no place in Turkey where so many been at Alexandria, in one year, ninety four
French mips come as into this haven; from the be- French mips."
ginning of the year 1672, to the month of June, "The reader may fee in Vansleb an exacl account of
there was no less than nineteen French ships that all the commodities that are carried from Egypt into Eu-
came hither, and in the month of June I reckoned rope, whether it be by the way of Marfeilles, or by that
fourteen. of Leghorn, or by Venice, zvith their ordinary price in the
" This is a coniiderable number, but not to be year 1673 ; andlikewife an account of the commodities
compared with the number of vessels that frequented that arefent from Europe into Egypt.
suf-
that he gives himself amongst his own people, do not permit him to conVerse
much with them: thus he pays for his grandeur by a very irksome life to a man
that would like society.
Iquit, for a moment, the French, but mail return to them in speaking of
their commerce. In the mean time, let us see how the English act. We have
nothing near so much to say of them as of the former. They have at Alexan-
dria no more than two merchants, of whom one is the consul, and is dependent
on that of Cairo. They keep tjiemselves quiet, and conduct themselves with-
out making much noise. If any nice affair is to be undertaken, they with-
draw themselves from it, and leave to the French the honour of removing all
difficulties.
When any benefit remits from it, they have their mare; and if affairs turn
out ill, they secure themselves in the best manner they can. This is all that
I can say of the nations establimed at Alexandria. There are no other but those
that I have mentioned. The French, however, protect an Italian, and some
Greeks, who pass for their own people. I am now going to conclude what
remains for me to say of the commerce of this nation.
T h e trade of the French is very coniiderable at Alexandria. They receive
every year several mips, which they freight with commodities, that are brought
from Cairo. The vessels they make use of for this intercourse, are feluccas,
barks, and tartanes. There go thither very few other vessels; because every
vessel, that does not bear a bowsprit, pays less for the maintenance of the ports,
&*c. They name them caravaniers, on account that, as the caravans, they go
from place to place, to take in a lading in the bell: manner they can. This
would be the place of speaking of the divers sorts of commodities, that the
French nation carries to Alexandria, and of those, that it draws from Egypt;
but, to say the truth, I do not recollect this affair sufficiently, to give it in detail
as is requisite ; and it is better to say nothing of it, than to speak of it imper-
fectly b. I chuse therefore to touch on the question, that I promised to explain ;
namely, why the French are obliged to raise the price of their commodities.
We need not search for the cause in any thing else than the idle expences, to
which that nation is exposed; for beiides that all mips pay a pretty great duty
of consulship ; they are moreover obliged to pay a certain tax, that is imposed,
either upon vessels, or upon goods. This tax is destined to supply the charges
that the common safety requires; and to indemnify the several persons who have
h F. Vansleb gives the following account. ^ this haven heretofore: for monsieur Lucasole,
"The trade of the French merchants in this city, who did the office of chancellor of the French
is the greatest that they have in all the eastern parts ; nation, told me that he remembers that there have
for there is no place in Turkey where so many been at Alexandria, in one year, ninety four
French mips come as into this haven; from the be- French mips."
ginning of the year 1672, to the month of June, "The reader may fee in Vansleb an exacl account of
there was no less than nineteen French ships that all the commodities that are carried from Egypt into Eu-
came hither, and in the month of June I reckoned rope, whether it be by the way of Marfeilles, or by that
fourteen. of Leghorn, or by Venice, zvith their ordinary price in the
" This is a coniiderable number, but not to be year 1673 ; andlikewife an account of the commodities
compared with the number of vessels that frequented that arefent from Europe into Egypt.
suf-