ipelago from Prince of
Wales Island, which, since it was settled by the English, has become the
emporium of this trade.--Batavia, Bencoolen, and Achen; the principal
articles of export from these islands are cloves, nutmegs, camphire,
pepper, sago, drugs, bichedemer, birds' nests, gold dust, ivory, areca
nuts, benzoin, tin, &c.: the imports are tea, alum, nankeens, silks, opium,
piece goods, cotton, rice, and European manufactures. Manilla is the depot
of all the productions of the Philippines, intended to be exported to
China, America, and Europe. The exports of these islands are birds' nests,
ebony, tobacco, sugar, cotton, cocoa, &c. The commerce of New Holland is
still in its infancy, but it promises to rise rapidly, and to be of great
value: a soil very fertile, and a climate adapted to the growth of
excellent grain, together with the uncommon fineness of its wool, have
already been very beneficial to its commerce.

The external commerce of Persia is principally carried on by the foreign
merchants who reside at Muscat, on the Persian Gulph: into this place are
imported from India, long cloths, muslins, silks, sugar, spices, rice,
indigo, drugs, and European manufactures; the returns are copper, sulphur,
tobacco, fruits, gum-arabic, myrrh, frankincense, and all the drugs which
India does not produce.

The Red Sea, washed on one side by Asia, and on the other by Africa, seems
the natural transit, from this consideration, of the commerce of the former
quarter of the globe to that of the latter. Its commerce is carried on by
the Arabians, and by vessels from Hindostan: Mocha and Judda are its
principal ports. The articles sent from it are coffee, gums and drugs,
ivory, and fruit: the imports are the piece goods, cotton, and other
produce of India; and the manufactures, iron, lead, copper, &c. of Europe.

Egypt, in which anciently centered all the commerce of the world, retains
at present a very small portion of trade: the principal exports from
Alexandria consist in the gums and drugs of the east coast of Africa,
Arabia, Persia, and India; rice, wheat, dates, oil, soap, leather, ebony,
elephants' teeth, coffee, &c. The imports are received chiefly from France
and the Italian States, and England; and consist in woollen and cotton
goods, hardware, copper, iron, glass, and colonial produce. The commerce of
the Barbary States is trifling: the exports are drugs, grain, oil, wax,
honey, hides and skins, live bullocks, ivory,