The chief commerce of Ioannina is carried on with Constantinople, Russia, Venice, and Malta. From the first it procures shawls, turbans, amber, and a variety of toys; from the second oxen, horses, skins and ermine; from Venice come rich velvets, red skull–caps, and many articles of hardware; From Malta various English manufactures and colonial produce; Many houses of Ioannina have a partner, or some connexion, established in these places. Every article pays an ad valorem duty at the Dogana of four per cent. The chief exports sent in exchange are, cotton from the plains of Triccala, Zeitoun, and Livadia, raw silk from Thessaly, Lepanto, and Salona, Valonean bark from Acarnania, prepared goat and ship skins, and sometimes, though not very frequently, grain. Great profit accrues to the merchants of I. from the distribution of their imports over the smaller towns and villages of Epirus: their domestic manifactures are not numerous: indeed here, as in other countries, the state of manufactures is a fair criterion of the state of civilization: whilst the workmanship of all articles that may conduce to general comfort convenience, and utility, or to the interests of philosophy and science, is quite contemptible, great industry and considerable skill is exhibited in the embroidery of cloth, in filagree, in working silver handles for pistols, muskets and ataghans, and in ornamenting pipe – heads.
