This City is surrounded with sundry large and spacious Suburbs, which is peculiar to sundry Artizans and Artists, the principal Suburbs is called Bullach, distant two miles from the Walls of the City, and stretching it self along the Banks of the River of Nile, beau∣tisied with many fair buildings, and is now the common residence of the principal Merchants of this City: and here are all such Commodities landed, as either cometh out of the
Mediter∣ranean Sea, by any the Channels of Nilus up this River, or out of Arabia, or other Countreys down this stream; here lies all the Vessels moored▪ either to lade or unlade; and here do the Officers reside, which receive the Customs of all Goods coming by Water from either Damietta, Rosetra, or Alexandria, which in it self is but small, the principal Custom and Duty being paid by these Merchants, and collected by the Agents of the
Customers at these Maritime Ports above∣said: but those
Commodities that come out of the firm Land do here pay the said entire Customs, as shall be mentioned hereafter.
This City is inhabited by six sorts of
Merchants, each of them trading by so many distinct ways;
[ 1] the native Aegyptian I reckon the first, ever accounted expert Merchants, but never ad∣venthring out of his own Country, who buy from other forein Nations their Commodities in gross, and supply the necessities of their own Country by retail.
[ 2] The Arabian or Moor is the next, here esteemed the greatest and most eminent Merchants; for these are they who are found to furnish all Aegypt with the
Spices and Gems of India, and the Drugs of
Arabia, Importing the same by Camels and
Dromedaries from Goa, Ormus Aden, Zebit, Dangula, Mecca, and other places from and about the Red-Sea: and in return thereof Exporting hence the Drugs of Aegypt, and such other
Commodities as are brought hi∣ther by those Nations neighbouring, principally upon and about the Mediterranean Sea. The principal
Commodities accounted and fittest for them is the excellent
Gold of this Countrey called the Soltanies and
Sheraffie, which Aegypt in great plenty affordeth.
[ 3] The third sort of Merchants I account the Christians of Europe, as principally the French and Venetians, who have here their Consuls and
Vice-Consuls for the Preservation of their Trade, and Protection of their Nation, by certain Capitulations agreed upon between their
Sovereigns and the Grand Seignior in
Constantinople, paying such Duties and Customs here as their said Capitulations do nominate; and these thus furnish
Aegypt with Levantine Commodities, and generally with all the Fabricks and Wares of the growth of Europe; and these carry hence in returns these Commodities brought hither both out of Arabia and India, and the native Com∣modities of this Countrey.
[ 4] The Turks I account the next, whose Emperour swayeth the Scepter of this rich Countrey, and who in respect of their easie Customs reap a peculiar benefit by the
Trade of this place; but the most eminent of them residing far hence and in Constantinople, and their ad∣venture proving dangerous and hazardable, by reason of the Incursions of the Malta and
Flo∣rentine Gallies, joyning thereto the dull temper of that Nation generally in matter of Com∣merce, and the ill success their
grand Gallions have of late years had, doth much divert their minds from any eager pursuit of that so rich a Traffick.
[ 5] The Jews here resident I account the fifth, who by reason of their general knowledge in Trade, and their general correspondence in all these Countreys before-mentioned, partake of all the Commerce and Traffick practised by these several persons; for from Venice, Constanti∣nople, Ormus, Goa, and other eminent places of Traffick, they are found to adventure and to have adventures; they travel and return with the
Arabian into India and Arabia, they traffick here both in gross and retail; and besides their subtilty in driving of bargains and making of contracts between man and man as Brokers, they are here found to be of all Professions, and are the Professors of all Arts.
[ 6] The last which I reckon in this roll is the
Armenian, Graecian and Coptie, all Christians, who in their way set the wheel of Trade on work, by being some
Shop-keepers, some Arti∣ficers, and some
Merchants, principally trading by Caravans to and from
Aleppo, Damascus, Amman and Baruti, and in the
Commodities of those Countreys of Armenia, Georgia and
Per∣sia, they carry the principal swayand stroke; all which considered, what doth the place want to make it absolute, but only what it hath lost? which is the vast Trade of India, which of late years the Portugals, English and Flemming hath deprived them of; which I leave them to sorrow for, as for a thing past remedy.
The Commodities that this Countrey and place principally affordeth to these Merchants, where∣by their
Commerce is now preserved to them, is Flax, and all sorts of Pulse, abounding in the Province of Sahid, where the
Pharaohs resided; Fruits, Rice, Balsam, &c. abounding in Erif∣fic, where the Ptolemies resided; Cottons, Sugars, and some Drugs, &c. abounding in Marre∣ma, where the Romans and Graecians resided; and all these annually foretold by the Inundati∣on of the Rivor Nilus, discerned by a Pillar seated in the Island Michias opposite to the City of Cairo, beginning ever to increase about the 15 of
June, so continuing 40 days increasing, and 40 days decreasing, as I said before; the height of the increase giving assured testimony of that