According to a late author, who has given us the
fullest description[174] of Timbuctoo[175] and its vicinity, a
_Plattilia_ is there worth fifty Mexico dollars, or twenty _meezens
of gold_, each meezen being worth two and a half Mexico dollars; _a
piece of Irish linen_ of ordinary quality, and measuring
twenty-five yards, is worth seventy-five Mexico dollars; and a
quintal of _loaf sugar_ is worth one hundred Mexico dollars. Now if
we investigate the parsimonious mode of traversing the Desert, we
shall find that a journey of 1500 English miles is performed from
Fas to Timbuctoo at the rate of forty shillings sterling per
quintal, so that loaf sugar (a weighty and bulky article) can be
rendered from London at Timbuctoo through Tetuan and Fas, including
the expense of a land-carriage of 1500 miles at about 6L. per
quintal, thus:

Refined sugar on board in London for _s. d._
per cwt. 70 0

Duty on importation in any part of
Marocco, ten per cent. 7 0

Freight, &c. five per cent. 3 6

Land carriage across the Desert on camels
to Timbuctoo 40 0
-----
s. 120 6
-----

[Footnote 174: See new Supplement to the Encyclopedia
Britannica, article Africa, page 98.]

[Footnote 175: See the account of Timbuctoo appended to
Jackson's account of Marocco, published by Cadell and Davies,
London, Chap, 18.]
261
So that if 100 lb. of loaf sugar rendered, at Timbuctoo cost
120_s_. 6_d_ and sells there for 100 Mexico dollars at 4_s_. 6_d_.
each, or for 22L. 5_s_. there will result a profit of 270 per cent.

The profit in fine goods, such as the linens before mentioned, is
still more considerable, not being subject to so heavy a charge for
carriage. The immense quantity of[176] gold dust and gold bars that
would be brought from Timbuctoo, Wangara, Gana, and other
countries, in exchange for this merchandise, would be incalculable,
and has, perhaps, never yet been contemplated by Europeans!!--In
the same work, above quoted, 3d edition, page 289, will be found a
list of the various merchandise exportable from