WealtJi of the Soiidan.

6i become distrustful, and instead of employing his money in trade, lie hides it underground where it often remains unknown after his death. The only rich people are the owners of seribe residing at Khartoum, who lend money on interest at thirty-six and forty-eight per cent, yearly, while several industries, which would be most advantageous for the country and the finances of government, lie neglected.

Ox hides are held in no sort of value in the Soudan. They are thrown away or used at most to make angareps. On my journey I saw thousands of them, devoured y white ants, while at Alexandria they are worth a guinea each. The wild buffalo is very common in the Soudan ; I saw herds which numbered thousands. When the buffaloes descend to some stream to drinkjthey form processions sometimes two miles long, but no one thinks of making any use of their hides, so much esteemed and highly paid for in Europe. America exported last year more than two hundred thousand hides, of the total value of four hundred thousand pounds sterling. Ebony, that precious article, which in Europe is sold at 50Z. the ton, is very abundant. Some people pretend that by reason of the great distance the expenses are enormous ; but the real truth is otherwise. At Khartoum nugars may be hired for fifty or at most eighty dollars for the Bahr-el-Grhazal or neighbouring provinces ; the people of the country would be very glad to carry the wood to the place of shipment for a few strings of beads or a piece of cotton cloth. For a nugar which could carry fifty tons the expenses would be : — Dollars.

Transport from Bahr-el-Ghazal or Gabe-Shambe to "Khartoum of 50 tons = 80 Transport from Khartoum to Berber ... . = 30 120 camels at 5 dollars = GOO Transport from Suakim to Suez . . . . = 300 Transport from Suez to Alexandria . . . . = 300 Total expenses . . = 1310