CHAPTER III

SIERRA LEONE

I. THE FORESTS.

The Colony and Protectorate of Sierra Leone cover an area of

approximately 34,000 square miles, or, to make it more comprehensible,

it is almost the same size as Ireland. Probably in the earliest times

the whole territory was covered with some kind of arborescent growth,

varying from open savannah and deciduous forest to close, impenetrable

evergreen rain forest.

Now scarcely 1 per cent. of this forest remains, one of the most

important tracts being the Sierra Leone or Peninsular Mountain Forest,

situated on the mountain due east of Freetown. The whole of this region

was once covered with forest, now reduced to an area of approximately 48

square miles, or 30,000 acres. All this tract down to the 500-foot

control line has been reserved as a permanent forest, so that eventually

the whole peninsular forest will have an area of 75 square miles.

Illustrations Nos. 2 and 4 show a general view of these forests.

Other important mountain forests are those situated on the Kassewe

Hills, Kagnari Mountains, Kambui Hills, Panguma Hills, Nimmini

Mountains, Loma Mountains, Bunbola Hills, and Maramper Hills. In

addition to these areas, timber trees are felled at Kangahan and Yonni,

as well as in the peninsular mountains and Maramper Hills, especially

for local use.

Turning now to a consideration of the forests more in detail, one

naturally first deals with the most accessible ones, i.e. of the

peninsular mountains. From the beautiful harbour of Freetown, Sierra

Leone, one sees the edge of these forests between Leicester Peak and

Sugar Loaf Mountains. From these two points it skirts the hill station,

extending thence roughly parallel to the sea as far as Kent; the largest

wooded slopes face the ocean, only a narrow strip of forest being found

on the landward side of the mountains near Burehtown and John Obey. The

forest extends practically from the water’s edge on the estuary of the

Bureh River right up the mountains to an elevation of 2,000 feet, with a

rainfall of upwards of 160 inches per year. Silvan vegetation is very

luxuriant, the giant trees standing close together, often entwined and

joined to each other by various large creepers, the whole forming an

almost impenetrable grove, into which only the diffused light of the sun

reaches. The undergrowth is not very thick, except where old trees have

fallen or where mature trees have been felled; this is partly owing to

the dense shade of the tall trees, and therefore the trunks of these

trees can be seen. A large Cedar Mahogany 23 feet in circumference was

seen. This specimen of a mahogany was one of the largest trees found,

and shows to what size the trees attain in this peninsular forest. One

of the commonest trees found is the Red Ironwood, or sometimes called in

Sierra Leone Ironpost, botanically known as _Lophira procera_. A picture

of a large specimen of one of this species is shown as illustration No.

2. Another very common tree is a species of Mimusops, known as pearwood,

or sometimes mahogany, when sold as timber. The African Violetwood,

sometimes known as Blackwood, is comparatively common. Rhodesian

Mahogany, usually called Kontah, botanically known as _Afzelia

Africana_, is also found. Real African Oak (_Oldfieldia Africana_) is

seen singly scattered throughout forests. A patch of true Gum Copal

trees is found, as well as isolated specimens in some parts of the

forest. Rock Elm (_Chlorophora excelsa_) is seen both in the forest and

in the clearings made for farms. The Oil Palm (_Elaeis guineensis_) is

sparsely distributed in the forest, but more frequent in the abandoned

farms. The above-named trees are representative of some of the very

large number of hardwoods and other trees of economic value in the

forest. There are, however, also a very large number of softwoods found

scattered amongst the other trees in the forest; a beautiful Whitewood

(_Alstonia Congensis_) is, for instance, one of such softwoods. The

Cotton Tree (_Eriodendron anfractuosum_) is probably the one most

commonly found. Various Albizzias are also met with in a similar manner.

II. NOTES ON TIMBER TREES.

Taking now the different species of timber trees individually, the

following are most important:

1. Real African Oak (_Oldfieldia Africana_), which is termed Tortorza by

the Timanis and Paulai by the Mendis. As illustration No. 5 shows, this

is a very large and tall tree. It often attains a bole length of 50 feet

and a girth of 16 feet. It is found singly, scattered through the

forest. The habit of its branches, open crown, and greyish bark make it

look not unlike a European oak. In reality the bark is scaly, gradually

peeling off in flakes. The tree in illustration No. 6 shows this

characteristic peculiarity to advantage, and also shows a medium-sized

tree, approximately 10 feet in girth. The tree fruits moderately, and

has an indehiscent capsule not unlike the shape, size and colour of an

oak-apple. The capsule has five faint ribs on its surface, but contains

only three seeds. The little seedling, with light grey stem and white

lenticels, is easily recognized. It usually has also only three leaflets

on its leaves, instead of forming true digitate leaves as a full-grown

tree. The sapling once started shows fairly rapid growth, and during the

early years stands a good deal of shade. It should therefore be

classified as a slight shade-bearer. African Oak is a dark reddish-brown

wood, which is very hard and most durable. It has, of course, a much

closer grain than ordinary oak. A very smooth surface can be obtained by

planing the timber. Locally, small trees are cut for conversion by pit-

saw into timber for boat keels. This timber was exported as teak from

Sierra Leone 1827 to 1835 for use in the English Navy. It was afterwards

lost sight of, though the natives continued to use it locally. During

1908 a few round logs of short length (12-16 feet) of this timber were

exported to England and sold in a Liverpool market for 2s. 6d. per cubic

foot (extreme measure).

2. Ironpost, or African Oak, or Red Ironwood (_Lophira procera_), is the

most common tree throughout the peninsula. According to the Conservator

of Forests in Sierra Leone, 80 per cent. of the trees of the peninsular

forest are _Lophira procera_. All stages of growth are found, from the

smallest seedlings to the largest tree, over 100 feet high and 20 feet

in girth. In the forest the tree has an orange-coloured bark, which

rapidly turns grey when exposed to the rays of the sun. The bole is not

always quite cylindrical, especially near the base, where it often

develops rather angular root protuberances. This seems to occur more

often on rocky ground, such as that where the tree is found in the

peninsula. For a similar reason the bole is not always straight, though

in the ordinary way the tree has a comparatively small crown with short

branches. Thus, in proportion to the size of the tree, the bole is very

long, the twigs are thickish, and the long thin paper-knifelike leaves

appear at the ends of them. Seedlings seem to come up wherever suitable

conditions of reproduction are found. A clear bole is typical of these

trees in the pole stage of growth. Illustration No. 2 shows a large

specimen on the edge of the forest, and there are many large trees with

the peculiar root protuberances, growing in the forest. The timber is

very hard and of a dark red colour, which it retains when dry. The

heartwood forms comparatively early in the life of the tree, and

although the sapwood is white, it is almost as hard as the heartwood.

For this reason comparatively small trees yield timber, and thus can be

felled earlier than trees in which the heartwood forms later. Of course,

in this connection it should not be forgotten that the market does not

desire logs of too small a size, i.e. of 18 inches or under, when

squared. Locally this is known as Ironpost, and is sold for house-

building, and, as its name implies, it is used for the uprights of the

house. The Public Works Department have a regular schedule of timbers

which are used, and this timber is mentioned amongst them, and is bought

from native contractors at 3d. per superficial foot for boards, and 3d.

to 6d. per linear foot for beams and posts. This timber has been used as

a substitute for real African Oak, when it is sold as African Oak. A

regular supply of logs could be obtained from the peninsular forest.

3. Cedar Mahogany (_Pseudocedrela sp._; termed Bissimi by the Mendis).

This tree, which grows to a very large size, is not very prevalent. The

largest tree, some 23 feet in girth, was found above the Gumah. The bole

is usually very long and straight, which makes it very cylindrical. This

last characteristic of the tree is all the more accentuated by its

having no root projections at its base. This species appears to be one

of the largest trees in the forest. It is apparently a very fast-growing

tree, forming heartwood comparatively early, though the sapwood is

rather wide (up to 10 inches in a tree 7 feet in diameter). This timber

has not been exported, but wood from similar trees on the coast has been

exported and sold in the European market as mahogany (scented). There is

no reason to believe, therefore, that the wood from this tree would not

fetch a similar price. Owing to this tree being so fullwooded, a larger

proportion of the bole can be converted into logs than is the case with

other kinds of mahogany trees which have large root flanges.

4. African Walnut (_Lovoa Klaineana_). This is a medium-sized tree of

the Mahogany family, which, owing to the brown colour of the wood, has

been termed African Walnut in the timber trade. Although not very

prevalent, it yields one of the timbers suitable for export.

5. Satin Mahogany (_Guarea sp._) is another medium-sized tree which is

prevalent in most parts of the peninsula. The grain of the timber is of

course similar to Mahogany, as the tree from which it is obtained

belongs to the Mahogany family. The timber when planed has a satiny

sheen on it, which may make it valuable in the European market. It has

not been cut for local use.

6. African Pearwood (_Mimusops sp._) is a large tree with a good bole of

fair length. Only a moderate number of this species were found, but

there are at least two, if not three, other species of Mimusops which

yield a timber which has been sold as mahogany. The grain of the timber

of the first-named tree is more open, sometimes figured, and of a

lighter reddish colour than the other species. These other trees yield a

dark-red timber of close grain, which is much harder than mahogany.

These Mimusops are found at a higher altitude than most timber trees.

The forest, therefore, above an elevation of 2,000 feet, is much more

valuable owing to the presence of this tree. These trees attain a girth

of 12 feet and a height of upwards of 150 feet. The bark of the trunk of

the tree is smoother than that of mahogany.

7. White Mahogany (_Canarium Schweinfurthii_), also known sometimes as

Gaboon Mahogany, is a very tall forest tree which attains a bole length

of 70 feet, with a girth of 10 feet. It is not very plentiful, but is

one of the light-coloured species of mahogany. It has a definite

shipping value of 2s. 6d. in the round per cubic foot.

8. African Mammee or Mammy Apple (_Ochrocarpus Africanus_) is a large

tree attaining a girth of 10 feet, with a bole length of 30 feet. It is

moderately prevalent. The timber has a pretty grain, and is of a reddish

colour, which is similar to mahogany.

9. Dita (_Detarium Senegalense_) is a large tree with the bole length of

30 feet and a girth of 12 feet. Although it is not a very common tree,

it is a useful addition to the number of trees which yield timber

similar to mahogany. The fruit is large, has an edible pericarp, and is

sold in the market under the name of Dita.

10. Red Cedar (species of Sterculiaceæ) is a large and straight-growing

tree, which reaches a girth of 10 feet. The tree has very characteristic

root flanges, which can be seen in illustration No. 10. The timber has a

mahogany-like grain, though of a somewhat more open texture. It is one

of the most prevalent trees in the peninsular forest.

11. Kontah, or Mahogany (_Afzelia Africana_), is a large tree with oval

crown and bole length of 30 feet. Only a few specimens were met with in

the forest, though the tree often grows up in old clearings. The timber

is of a reddish-brown colour, somewhat hard and very durable. It takes

the place of an oak timber economically, although it is not really of

that type. The grain of the timber has much longer and more open pores

than oak, though it could probably be sold as an oak or teak substitute

in the European market.

12. Rock Elm, also known as African Oak or Teak, is a common tree

attaining large dimensions. Being a very durable wood of moderate

hardness, it largely takes the place of European oak in the economy of

the country, which, with its yellowish light-brown wood, rapidly

becoming a nice old-oak brown colour, makes it a very similar timber,

although, as the first name, Rock Elm, indicates, the tree is

botanically a member of the Elm family. White ants occasionally attack

its sapwood, but make no progress in the heartwood. The wood is not

attacked by fungi to any extent. Wherever the rainfall is sufficient,

seedlings of this tree come up in the old farms, and when cut down it

sprouts again from the stump.

13. East Indian Walnut (_Albizzia Lebbek_) is a medium-sized tree which

grows very quickly. The heartwood, which matures comparatively early, is

a light-brown colour, similar to walnut. The timber has an open, pretty

grain. It is one of the trees which comes up in old farms, provided

rainfall is moderate.

14. Satinwood (_Zanthoxylum macrophyllum_) is a medium-sized tree with a

clear bole of 30 feet, combined with a narrow crown and small branches.

It is a very common tree in the peninsular forest, and it is also found

growing up in the old farms, where the rainfall is adequate (60 inches).

The wood is the typical light-yellow colour. The grain of the timber is

very fine and hard, which makes it less liable to shrink than other more

open-grained woods. The heartwood forms early, though where trees grow

up very quickly, roughly only half of the diameter width of a tree is

made of heartwood. That is to say, in a tree a foot in diameter,

approximately 6 inches will be heartwood. In the evergreen forest there

is another species of Zanthoxylum which attains a rather larger size

than the first named. It is, however, not quite so prevalent as the

other species. In common with other species of Zanthoxylum, it bears all

round the stem extremely large woody spines. In this species the spiny

protuberances are exactly like small round cones of wood, with a

diameter 2 inches at the base. Yet a third species of _Zanthoxylum

Senegalense_ yields a similar satinwood, almost as close grained, which,

however, is found growing as a small tree at the edge of the deciduous

forest before the dry-zone belt is reached. This tree is characterised

by its much smaller leaf, with pinnæ broader in proportion to their

length than the former species. In a similar manner the woody

protrusions on the stem do not project more than three-quarters of an

inch from it, compared to those of the second-named species, which

attain a length of 3 inches. The timber of this dry-zone Satinwood is

just as valuable as the former species. It is fairly prevalent in the

more open forest where it is found. It withstands the annual grass fires

to some extent, and seedlings appear in the neighbourhood of mature

trees.

15. Violetwood is a medium-sized tree with a smooth bark not unlike

beech, and a bole of up to 20 feet in length and 12 feet in girth. It

is, however, a little crooked in growth, but this is not an undesirable

feature, because the texture of the grain often thus becomes figured.

Specimens which were collected showed this growth, and a few species had

a very pretty figured grain. It is quite a common tree in the peninsular

forest. The fruit of this tree is a pod about a foot long and an inch

wide, containing on the average eight oblong flattish beans. The wood is

of a greenish-brown colour, and is very hard, heavy and durable, judging

by the timber of fallen trees. The timber when planed has a scent of

violets, hence the English name which I have given to it. The tree has

not been cut for use as an export timber, though it is well worth a

trial. It is not used locally, so that all available supplies of timber

could be used for export.

16. _Pterocarpus erinaceus_ (African Rosewood) is a small tree of the

savannah forest, which is found in the Karina district and other parts

of the country. It is one of the commonest trees, and occurs in small

groups scattered throughout these forests. The timber is a reddish-brown

colour and of a similar texture to the ordinary Camwood or Padauk, of

which genus it is a member. The wood, however, of this species is much

harder than that of the others, and the coloration is often partially

streaked, both features being due probably to the much slower growth

owing to the annual grass fires. From the neighbouring territory of

Senegal the timber has been exported to France as African Rosewood,

where it finds a good market; but it is doubtful if it could compete

with the Bahia Rosewood in the English market, owing to its less

brilliant colour; the timber is, however, worth a trial.

17. _Baphia nitida_ (Camwood) is a small-sized tree, which is commonly

found at the edge of villages and in old farms. It is a somewhat slow-

growing tree, in which the heartwood forms none too early and in a

somewhat irregular manner, occasionally small patches forming

comparatively near the bark. The wood is hard, and the heartwood of a

deep claret-red colour. The timber is close grained and of fine texture,

which planes very smooth after being cut and dried. In recent years much

smaller quantities of Camwood have been sent away (see Appendix I) than

between the years 1827 and 1835 (see Appendix II), when between 5 and

802 tons were exported. In this connection, too, there can be no doubt

that Camwood is obtained from the tree known botanically as _Baphia

nitida_, because this tree is found in Sierra Leone, whereas Barwood, or

the so-called Camwood of Nigeria, the produce of _Pterocarpus

tinctorius_ or Osun, which has not yet been reported from the

neighbourhood of Sierra Leone, could not have been absolutely killed out

between the years 1835 and 1900.

III. TREES CUT FOR LOCAL USE.

1. _Morinda citrifolia?_ (the Brimstone) is the most common tree, from

which the largest amount of timber which is used locally is obtained.

Growing, as it does, with a girth up to 20 feet and a bole length of 50

feet, the local sawyers can usually make a very large number of 12-feet

planks 1 inch thick out of each tree. The chief use of this timber is

for weather-boards, which are sold at 10s. per 100 feet. All the native

houses in Freetown are faced with weather-boards of this kind of timber.

After being cut down, shoots sprout out from the stump, forming in a few

years small trees of useful size, especially in old farms. The name of

this tree, Brimstone, denotes the wonderful sulphur-like colour of the

wood. The durability of this timber for outside work and its termite-

resisting qualities have given it a premier position amongst local

timbers. The Brimstone has a fruit not unlike coffee, and bears seeds

plentifully; it should therefore not be difficult to raise seedlings for

making plantations. The trees grown from stool-shoots do not appear to

attain nearly such a large size as those grown from seedlings in the

forest.

2. _Chlorophora excelsa_ (Rock Elm, African Oak) is a common tree which

is cut for local use. The heartwood, which rapidly darkens from a light-

yellow brown colour to a dark old-oak brown colour on exposure to air,

is very durable for inside or outside work. Though white ants attacks

and destroy the sapwood, they make little or no progress in properly

seasoned heartwood. Locally it realises 10s. per 100 feet. It is

plentiful, and has a distinct tendency to spread into old farms, where

the seedlings have more light to develop than in the forest.

3. _Iyawey_ (Red Cedar, or Isganwe) is also a common tree which is cut

for local use. It is a large and straight-growing tree, and attains a

girth of about 10 feet. Owing to the wood being comparatively soft, easy

to saw and of a nice red colour, it fetches 12s. per 100 feet, which is

more than is obtained for several other local timbers.

4. _Oldfieldia Africana_ (Black Oak, Beechwood) is cut for local use,

for sale as planks at 2¼d. per foot, and uprights and beams at 3s. per

cubic foot. One of the chief uses of this timber is for the keelsons of

the locally made sea-going boats. Owing to the difficulty of the local

sawyers in handling heavy logs on the raised wooden pit-saw framework on

which the logs are sawn, only comparatively small trees are felled, and

consequently there is more waste, and undersized trees are prematurely

sacrificed owing to the poor methods of the local sawyers. Less timber,

especially heartwood, is thus obtained.

5. _Parinarium sp._ (White Oak) is a moderately common tree. It attains

a good height and a girth of 12 feet. It has large root flanges reaching

about 10 feet up the bole. Although a somewhat hard wood, it is used

locally either as planks and posts or as beams and logs. It is said to

be durable, and is worth 2s. per cubic foot when sawn.

6. _Afzelia Africana_ (Mahogany, Kontah) is a medium-sized tree which is

not very prevalent in the forest, but is much more so outside in the

open forest country. The timber, which is hard, has an open grain with a

good yellow-brown colour, not unlike Iroko. It is very durable, and used

as planks and logs. In the plank it is sold at 6d. per superficial foot,

and in the log at 3s. 6d. per cubic foot. This is considered one of the

best local woods, partly owing to its grain being somewhat similar to

mahogany. Seedlings appear in old farms where there are but few

grasshoppers. Otherwise trees grown in a nursery are attacked by these

insects, as well as by rodents of different kinds.

7. _Daniellia Ogea_ (Blue Bessie) is sold as planks at 3d. per

superficial foot. It is closely related to _Paradaniella Thurifera_; the

former tree is more prevalent in the green forest, and the latter in the

open deciduous forests, which attains a girth of 10 feet and a bole

length of 30 feet, while the first-named species reaches a girth of over

20 feet and a bole length of over 100 feet. It is sold locally chiefly

for house-building.

8. _Griffonia palescens Koronko_ is felled for sale as planks at 2½d.

per superficial foot.

9. _Coula edulis?_ (Almond Wood) is a medium-sized tree which is cut

into planks 1 to 2 inches thick and up to 12 feet long, and sold at 2½d.

per superficial foot.

10. _Rhizophora racemosa_ (Mangrove) grows in pure “stands” in the

swamps near the sea coast, chiefly in the estuaries of the rivers. It

attains a girth of 4 feet and a height of 80 feet. It is sold as poles 9

to 12 feet in diameter at the rate of 2½d. per cubic foot. Very large

areas of mangrove forest occur, so that ample supplies of this kind of

timber are assured. Locally it is often used for house-building, and is

preferred to many other timbers.

11. _Ochrocarpus Africanus_ (Mammy Apple) is a large tree attaining a

girth of 10 feet and a bole length of 30 feet. It is evidently not so

prevalent as it used to be, owing to the fact that the best trees have

been felled. Seedlings, however, appear very readily from the large

fruit when it falls in suitable germinating places in the forest. It is

much prized locally on account of its pretty grain and red mahogany-like

colour. It is sold as planks, joists or posts at 3d. or 3½d. per

superficial foot.

12. _Anisophyllea laurina_ (Monkey Apple) is a very lofty tree,

attaining a girth of 12 feet and a bole length of 40 feet. Although

moderately prevalent in the forests, it is very plentiful outside in the

deciduous forests. It shoots up very strongly from the stump after an

old tree has been cut down. Wood obtained from these stool-shoots is,

however, not so good or of such large size as that obtained from

seedling trees. The timber is a light-brown colour, but a very pretty

grain, full of medullary rays, giving it a sheen not unlike oak. Locally

it is sold as joists and posts at the price of 3d. to 6d. per

superficial foot.

13. _Lophira procera_ (Red Oak, Kokank, also known as Ironpost) is sold

as planks, posts and beams at 3½d. to 6d. per superficial foot. It is

chiefly used for house-building. A full description of this tree is

given under the heading of the export timbers, so that nothing more need

be added here.

14. _Parinarium excelsum_ (Rough-skinned Plum) is a very common tree,

which attains a girth of 12 feet and a bole length of 30 feet. It yields

a hard timber with open grain. It is sold locally as planks or logs at

6d. per cubic foot for building timber. The fruit, which, as the name

indicates, is like a green plum, is covered with white lenticels, making

the surface very rough. The flesh is of a yellowish colour and soft,

with a pasty nature. It has a sweet, pleasant taste. The wood, when

freshly cut, has a sweet, beeswax-like scent, similar to that of the

fruit.

15. Whismore, which is sold as planks at 2½d. per superficial foot, is

another very useful timber, not unlike cedar in texture. The tree comes

up very readily in old farms, and has very large tripinnate leaves.

Apparently it grows very fast, though this does not appear to hinder the

early formation of heartwood, which is of a very light brown colour,

though the sapwood is quite white. It attains a girth of about 9 feet

and a bole length of 50 feet. The bark forms very characteristic

fissures, dividing it into more or less diamond-shaped pieces, rather

reminiscent of the European Elm. Although the tree does not occur in

actual groups, more than one will usually be found in the same locality.

16. _Uapaca Heudelotti_ (Sugar Plum, Red Cedar) is a large tree with

rather a spread of crown and numerous aerial roots. It attains a girth

of 9 feet and a bole length of 20 feet. The timber has a close and fine

grain, and is of a reddish colour. Locally it is cut and used for the

ribs of sea-going boats. It is apparently quite durable for this

purpose. It is very prevalent, and usually grows near waterways.

17. _Pycnanthus Kombo_ (White Cedar) is a very large tree which attains

a girth of 12 feet and a bole length of 80 feet. It is very prevalent,

and can be recognised by the flat crown and long straight branches

coming out at right angles to the stem. When cut it exudes a reddish-

coloured mass of semi-liquid nature. The bark reminds one of the

Mahoganies, though on the whole it is more fissured. The timber is soft

and of a pinkish colour, though it gives more the impression that it is

white and tinged with red. It has a very open grain with particularly

long pores, reminding one of cedar (_Cedrela_). It is cut locally for

sale as planks.

18. _Pterocarpus Erinaceus_ (African Rosewood) is mentioned amongst the

number of possible export timber-bearing trees. It is also used locally

in the making of a musical instrument called Balangi, after the timber

has lain some months in the ground. In the drier portions of the country

it is a useful tree for house-building. It seeds readily, and is usually

found in large quantities.

19. _Baphia nitida_ (Camwood) is also one of the export produce bearing

trees, but which has been used as a colouring matter for putting on the

body from time immemorial. The local people, however, prefer to use

cakes of the ground-up produce of the Barwood (_Pterocarpus Tinctorius_)

from Southern Nigeria, which commands a higher price. That this product

of _Baphia nitida_ is the true Camwood is practically proved by the fact

that this tree was first identified from Sierra Leone, whence it is all

exported, and also by the fact that Barwood, or the Southern Nigeria

Camwood, is not found in Sierra Leone.

Although the above completes the description of the most important local

timber trees, there are many others which might be used with

satisfaction. One of these trees, known as Yabonji by the Mendis, has a

grain, colour and softness similar to white pine, and is sold locally as

yellow pine. _Erythrophlœum Guineense_ (Sassybark) yields a hard timber

suitable for bridge-building, as it is very durable and grows to a large

size, though not always with a very long bole. Mountain Mahogany, a

species of Lonchocarpus, has a grain similar to pine, with resin-like

canals in the wood. It grows to a large size, with a straight bole 50

feet in length and a girth of 10 feet. Combwood (_Conapharingia

pachysiphon_) is a small tree, which yields a yellow wood similar in

texture and grain to boxwood, though a little softer. Locally it is used

for making native combs. There is also a so-called Leopardwood, termed

Koligi by the Mendis, which has a curious striped grain a little

reminiscent of a leopard’s skin; hence the name. The local inhabitants

have various chewsticks, which are obtained from guttiferous trees or

Vernonia species. _Carapa Gayensis_ is found and used locally both as a

timber and also the seeds for making an oil for the skin. In connection

with all this local felling it should be noticed that there is scope for

sawn timber of all kinds, more especially when it is taken in

conjunction with the fact that over 2,000,000 feet board measure of

planks, etc., are imported every year. A small mill placed near Bureh

Town would probably be able to supply all wants as far as Freetown and

the immediate neighbourhood were concerned, and water power might be

available from the Gumah River, which flows down very rapidly to the

sea. A mill, on the whole, is more economical in conversion than the

local sawyer, as all slabs are left to rot in the forest, but these a

mill would consume in power-making, or they would be resawn into smaller

boards or shingles. At present there is no sawmill in the whole country,

so that there is an open field for this venture, with a forest adjacent

to the market and suitable conditions of labour.

IV. MINOR FOREST PRODUCE.

No account of the Sierra Leone forest would be complete without a

description of the two chief vegetable products of the forest, namely

Palm Oil and Kernels and Gum Copal.

Turning first of all to Gum Copal, known botanically as _Copaifera

Salikounda_, which is a true copal gum, not to be confused with the gum

from _Daniellia Ogea_ and other allied species, illustrations Nos. 8 and

9 show this tree standing in the open, and also the shape of the trunk

at nearer inspection. It will be seen that it is rather a tall tree,

with open thin crown and straight upward-spreading branches. The bole

usually does not exceed 30 feet in length, and then forks or divides

into three main stems. The curious marks on the stem, making the tree

look as if it were attacked with some form of canker, are those made by

tapping the trees for the gum. At the beginning of the dry season small

squares of bark, about an inch across, are removed from the tree,

beginning at the ground, upwards to 20 and 30 feet. At the corners of

each little square gum gradually exudes during the dry season in the

form of an ever-increasing sized globular tear, which hardens on

exposure to the air. By the end of the dry season, as in February or

March, it has attained a size of half an inch or so, and is then quite

hard and white and nearly transparent. Only a few little pieces of bark

adhere to its surface, and these are easily removed. Then these tears

are collected in a bag, sorted, and then sold to the European firms in

Sierra Leone and elsewhere. The average tree yields 1 lb. of gum copal

per year.

In the peninsular forest a patch of Gum Copal trees is found near Bureh

Town. In the Protectorate, irregular belts occur, such as that on the

Kassewe Hills and north of Moyamba. On the banks of the Rokell River,

too, it occurs in single specimens dotted along the bank. The smooth

grey bark of the stem is not unlike Beech, except for the fact that it

is pitted by the tapping squares, which occlude only very gradually.

The leaves are in pairs, but have such a straight inner edge that they

appear like one leaf which has been cut in half down the middle. The

main vein of the leaf is at one side of it. In this manner the leaf is

unmistakable, though a Cynometra leaf is somewhat similar, and also a

Bauhinia; but in the former the vein is more in the centre and the

leaves are quite separate and not close together, and in the latter they

are joined at the base. The tree appears to be easily killed by

overtapping. Before the formation of the Forest Department, whole

forests had been destroyed in this way, one of which I saw north of

Moyamba during an inspection of the Gum Copal belt.

The timber of this tree is a red-brown colour, of hard texture, with a

pretty grain. It is, of course, of the type of purple-heart. It is very

durable and termite-proof, though a borer attacks it slightly. The wood

of trees killed by overtapping proves to be quite sound and useful for

any purpose where a hard timber is required.

The tree can be grown from the flat, round, paper-like seeds, which are

bought at £1 a bushel in Sierra Leone. The tree usually bears well, and

the seed is collected off the ground. Young self-sown seedlings are

found, which shows that the seeds germinate readily too. It does not

stand transplanting very well, but with care soon recovers. It grows

rapidly, and reaches a tapable size in ten years, approximately. It does

not seem very exacting with regard to soil. In the peninsula it grows on

rocky soil, and in Moyamba on an alluvial soil.

Recently the exports have decreased, as the following figures show,

chiefly owing to the destruction of the trees by overtapping. However,

when the forests have recovered, the younger trees have matured, and the

trees since planted are in bearing, and an increase may be expected. It

is the most valuable, Gum Copal usually being worth 8d. to 1s. 6d. a

pound, but if quite clean and white it fetches as much as 2s. 6d. a

pound. Its chief use is for varnish-making, though the best grades are

used for pharmaceutical preparations. It is far easier to tap than

rubber, and the cost of preparation is therefore very low, so that it

should prove worth cultivating on a large scale. The market for Gum

Copal is a comparatively large one, and other sources of supply, such as

those of Kauri Gum from New Zealand, are decreasing, or not entirely

meeting the demand. It is only a question of time before the whole

supply will have to be obtained from cultivated trees.

It stands a certain amount of shade during the first four years, but

from the fifth year onwards it is distinctly a light-loving species. On

the whole it is almost a gregarious tree, as usually groups of trees are

found up to fifty or more, and in a whole forest the prevalent tree will

be Gum Copal; for instance, in the Gum Copal belt near Susuwuru. A

planting distance of 6 feet will probably prove advantageous, as the

tree has a distinct tendency to branch low down on the stem if not

forced to grow up straight by the presence of other trees. Then in the

tenth year a judicious thinning out of the weakest trees by tapping to

death would give additional space to the others and allow for greater

girth increment for the other clean-stemmed trees. An early financial

yield would also thus be obtained.

In the economy of the country, more important even than the Gum Copal is

the Oil Palm (_Elæis Guineensis_), which is found in the Forest,

scattered in groups and belts amongst farms inland, as at Blama, and

near the sea coast, as at Sherbro, and also as isolated individual trees

in the drier parts of the Protectorate. Towards the northernmost part of

the country it is not seen at all, though climatically there is nothing

to stop it growing if planted in suitable localities. It tends to spread

with increasing cultivation of the ground, so long as the rainfall is

sufficient and the soil moist enough for it. In the forest itself it is

very sparsely distributed. Owing to the large population and the

comparatively small area on which the Oil Palm is really plentiful, more

palm oil is eaten than exported. This is most clearly seen in the

quantity of exports of both products, which show a much larger

proportion of kernels than oil.

The fruit usually ripens in January, February, March, or sometimes

earlier, and is left for six months. Usually the trees have to some

extent been cleared by the natives, then on a certain day the bunches of

fruit may be cut. This takes place after the natives have cut the bush

down for making the chief’s farm. It also ensures, incidentally, that

most of the fruit is quite ripe, though this is not the reason why the

natives may not begin cutting off the bunches when they like. The

bunches of fruit are left in the forest at convenient places at the edge

of the path, covered with palm leaves. After a week or so these are

taken to the village, and all the drupes cut off with a machete. These

are next put in large earthenware pots with a little water, which are

then placed over a good fire. In about an hour the fruit is thoroughly

steamed. The fruit is then piled into a trough of beaten clay with a

palm-nut bottom, or even stones. Water is poured in, and the fruit is

pounded with the feet and also with a small pestle. The oil gradually

rises in yellow fatty masses on the surface of the water, and is

collected with the hand and put into a clean pot. As soon as a pot is

filled, it is placed over a good fire to boil. When it has been boiled

thoroughly it is strained, the strained oil being that usually eaten or

sold to firms for export. The residue of dirt and pieces of fibre is

used as an illuminant in the native lamps. The nuts are placed in the

sun to dry for two or three months, after which they are cracked with a

stone or a piece of iron and the kernels collected in boxes or bags for

sale. The fibre in the washing trough is thoroughly squeezed by hand and

all oil extracted. The water is let out of the trough gradually, and all

oil collected from the sides of it. It is also washed down with water to

collect the more adhesive particles. Even so, there is a large

percentage of waste. An oil is also made from the kernels by heating

them in an iron vessel over a fire. This oil is used for the skin or for

wounds.

In the ordinary way oil palms are not planted, though in moving to a new

area where farms have not been made before the natives take oil-palm

fruit with them, which get scattered as nuts; these germinate and form

the nucleus of a group of oil palms in that locality. Considering the

large population and its increasing need for the oil, the planting of

oil palms appears to be remunerative.

Palm Wine-tree (_Raphia vinifera_) is used very largely where it is

found in the extensive forests near the rivers and sea coast in swampy

places. Piassava fibre is obtained from this source, but so far has not

been used in Sierra Leone for this purpose, whereas in the neighbouring

country some of the best piassava is obtained. The people are, however,

otherwise occupied, so that until there is a greater population it is

unlikely that this industry will be taken up. The approximate area of

wine palms is 3,000 square miles in various parts of the whole country.

Some of the best areas are found on the banks of the Mano, Morro, Maho

and Rokell Rivers. The long fronds of the leaves yield the steering and

pushing poles for canoes, also most useful rafters and scantlings for

houses. The leaves themselves are made into mats for covering the

houses. They are said to last seven years when properly put on. The

fruit of the tree is used for stupefying fish, which can then be very

easily speared by the natives. The tree is usually set on fire to draw

the palm wine, though this more often happens subsequently to the taking

of the wine. A tree does not last more than three years with severe

tapping, such as it is subject to by the natives.

_Borassus flabellifer_ (Fan Palm, Bottle Palm) is found in the northern,

drier part of the Protectorate, but so far is not used to any extent for

house-building, for which the timber is most suitable, being very

durable, of good length, and can be split. The nuts of the large

coconut-like fruit are useful as a substitute for vegetable ivory,

though thus far no use has been made of them. The approximate area of

distribution of this species of tree is about 4,000 square miles. Quite

a trade is done in various kinds of bark, altogether from about fifteen

different species of trees, of which most are collected in the

Peninsular Forest. Amongst them is found the Sasswood, or that of

_Erythrophlœum Guineense_, the notorious native poison, though it is not

at all certain that nowadays in Sierra Leone it is used for this

purpose.

V. THE FOREST DEPARTMENT OF SIERRA LEONE.

In the course of 1911 a Forest Department was formed by the appointment

of a Conservator of Forests; this has been gradually enlarged until

there are now three Assistant Conservators of Forests as well. The chief

work of the Department so far has been the drafting and passing of a

Forestry Ordinance in 1912 and the demarcation of two Forest Reserves.

The Peninsular Forest, with its new boundaries, comprises 75 square

miles, and the Kassewe Hill. Other areas have been set aside, notably

the Kagnari Hills and Kambui Hills as Forest Reserves, and Nimmini and

Loma Forests examined previous to demarcation with a view to their

reservation. The Gum Forests were closed to tappers with the consent of

the chief, so that the trees could recover from previous overtapping. In

addition to this work, some rubber planting has been done in the Gumah,

and one Assistant spends all his time on this work, nurseries having

been formed in different places—Mano, Bo, and Falaba. A large number of

botanical specimens of the trees and shrubs have been forwarded to Kew

for identification, so that gradually the silvan vegetation is becoming

known. No planting of oil palms (_Elæis Guineensis_) has been undertaken

yet, despite the large export of this product. Rubber planting has not

been forgotten either. So far very little revenue has been received for

timber-felling fees, which means really that in the past the forests

have been destroyed, and now only small quantities can be cut. It does

indeed make one pause and think what immense forests must have existed

in the days of 1827, when so many loads of timber were exported, as

shown in the table on p. 64. If those forests had been preserved then,

they would be yielding high returns now, and the Department would be

self-supporting, instead of having money invested first in plantations

before returns are obtained. However, now that the Department has been

formed, a definite Forest Ordinance has been passed, under which Forest

Reserves can be made, and the future of the existing forests is thus

assured. Sooner or later all of them will yield a monetary return,

besides benefiting the country climatically and preserving the soil.

One can really look upon Forestry as a kind of Endowment Assurance, with

returns which may begin at once with existing forests, or later with

afforestation begun now. The return is always sure, more especially now,

with continually rising timber prices. In Sierra Leone, of course, for

some years money will have to be put into Forestry work before adequate

returns can be made, owing to the reckless mismanagement of the forest

in the early part of the nineteenth century. For the purpose of easy

reference, a list of some of the most important timber trees is

appended, and with both the Mendi and Timani names, when it is possible

to give these, and an English equivalent is also given where one uses a

name suggestive of the use of the timber.

So far the Department has not leased any areas for the exploitation of

timber for export or local use, though there are several areas

available, such as the peninsular forest. Even an organization of the

sawyers and boat-builders would be a useful work, and machinery for

cutting the various woods would lead to greater production and a saving

of timber, of which so much is now wasted. Again, the enormous demand

for firewood in Freetown, most of which is waterborne, could be more

advantageously met with a small sawmill or movable plant in connection

with the other wood-using industries already named. The mangrove swamps

would provide material ready at hand for conversion. The railway

requires firewood at certain points; there again is scope for improved

methods of dealing with it, yielding profit both to the contractor and

to the Forest Department.

[Illustration: FIG. 7.—=Pterocarpus esculentus in flower near Fakar

Kole, at the edge of the Peninsular Forest.=]

[Illustration: FIG. 8.—=Forest of true Gum Copal (Copaifera salikounda),

showing nearly all the trees bare of foliage and dying, due to

overtapping, near Sussuwuru, Moyamba District.=]

[Illustration: FIG. 9.—=True Gum Copal (Copaifera salikounda), showing

base of stem with tapping squares, near the bank of the Rokell River,

north of Moyamba District.=]

To face p. 40.

VI.—INDIGENOUS FOREST TREES

Species marked with an asterisk (*) are Lane Poole’s[1]; those marked

with an obelisk (†) are the Author’s.

=Pandanaceæ.=

_Pandanus candelabrum_. Screw Pine. Bambi (Mendi).

_Pandanus sp._ near _P. candelabrum_.* Screw Pine. Pambei (Mendi).

It is a tree with wide-spreading prop roots always growing in running

fresh water. The leaves are used in basket-making.

=Palmæ.=

_Elæis Guineensis_.* Oil Palm. Ankump (Timani); Tui, Tauwi, Taupwi

(young trees), (Mendi).

The well-known Oil Palm. It is a most useful tree, thriving best near

villages, but growing abundantly in the northern part of the forests.

The nuts contain a large quantity of oil. They are used also for

planting.

_Borassus flabellifer_.* Fan or Daleb Palm. Tunka (Timani); Hoke

(Mendi).

It grows to about 70 feet in the grass country. Umbrellas are made

from the leaves, also baskets. The stems are used for building-posts.

_Raphia vinifera_.* Wine Palm. Ankent (Timani); Duvui (Mendi).

Sometimes called the Tombo Palm. It is very gregarious, being

frequently found forming almost a small forest in swampy ground.

_Raphia sp._ near _R. Gaertneri_.* Kili (Mendi).

It is a small plant of only 10 feet, growing in the swamps. It does

not yield wine. Baskets and mats are made from the leaf stalks and

thatch from the leaves.

_Calamus sp._* Balui (Mendi).

This is a climbing palm or rattan, growing to the top of the highest

trees, having a diameter of 2 inches, armed with strong hooked spines.

The stem, when split, is used for tying the rafters of houses; lengths

of it are used as clothes-lines. Suspension bridges are even made over

the river.

_Calamus sp._* Tambelei (Mendi).

This species grows as high as the preceding one, but is only ½ inch in

diameter. Besides being used as cordage, it is employed as thatching.

=Liliaceæ.=

_Dracæna Mannii_.* Ningei (Mendi).

This tree grows to 30 feet in height, and is called the Asparagus Tree

by Europeans, because the flavour of the young leaves is like

asparagus. The natives eat them chopped with their rice.

=Ulmaceæ.=

_Trema affinis_.* Gombei (Mendi).

A small tree, from 25 to 30 feet. It springs up in cleared farms; the

wood is of little use except as thatching laths. The bark is peeled

and eaten for coughs.

_Trema Africana_.* †

A medium-sized tree.

=Moraceæ.=

_Ficus Vogelii_.* Jol, Lopi (Timani); Gonwi (Mendi).

A much-branched tree, yielding a latex, which coagulated has been sold

at from 6d. to 1s. a lb. in London as paste rubber.

_Ficus sp._* Wild Fig or Sandpaper Tree. Indäihen (Mendi).

This species has rough leaves like sandpaper, hence its name. They are

used to clean woodwork.

_Ficus platyphytes_. Gonwé (Mendi).

_Chlorophora excelsa_.* Iroko, Teak, African Oak. Tema (Timani); Sime

or Semei (Mendi).

It is found particularly near old clearings, but not so frequently in

the forest. It is a termite-resisting timber; called Teak, Oroko or

African Oak, when exported, it is worth about 1½d. per superficial

foot. At one time the latex was used as an adulterant for rubber. It

polishes well and makes very handsome furniture. Canoes, pestles,

rice-basins, etc., are made from it. Dr. Unwin suggests that Iroko is

a corruption for rock elm.

_Musanga Smithii_.* Corkwood. Ofika (Timani); Govwi (Mendi).

It is a common tree, growing to about 60 feet in old farm lands, and

affords a shade for forest species to get a footing. It is remarkable

for its wide-spreading prop roots and large palmate leaves.

_Myrianthus arboreus_.* Fofoi (Mendi).

A small tree.

_Myrianthus sp._* Fofoi (Mendi).

A small tree.

_Myrianthus serratus_.* Fofoi (Mendi).

A small tree with edible fruit.

=Olacaceæ.=

_Coula edulis_.* Tokei (Mendi).

It is a large tree bearing walnut-like nuts, the kernels of which are

good to eat both raw and cooked. Oil is obtained from the kernels,

which are valued at £7 a ton.

_Olax_.*

A small tree.

=Loranthaceæ.=

_Loranthus langwensis_.* Mistletoe. Gongui (Mendi).

This is the common mistletoe, which may be seen growing on a great

number of trees. Specially common on Guava and Kola Trees.

=Menispermaceæ.=

_Triclisia macrophylla_. Ndawi (Mendi).

A climbing shrub.

=Anonaceæ.=

_Xylopia Æthiopica_.* The Spice Tree. Umberikum (Timani); Kewe or Hewe

(Mendi).

Its fruit is much in demand as medicine.

_Xylopia sp. Dinklagei_.* Mountain Spice. Kapus (Timani); Hui, Hewe

(Mendi).

_Monodora Myristica_.* Calabash Nutmeg or False Nutmeg. Gboite (Mendi).

It is a medium-sized tree, with rose-pink, sweet-smelling flowers. The

fruit is the false nutmeg.

_Xylopia sp._ near _X. Elliotii_.* Yellow Wood. Belvi or Kpaini

(Mendi).

This tree grows to a medium height, with thin but very straight stem

up to 18 inches in diameter. Its wood has been exported to Europe,

where it has taken the place of American whitewood.

_Xylopia parviflora_.*

A tall tree of 20 feet, growing on the bank of the Moa River.

_Cleistopholis sp._ near _C. patens_.* Moigbwamy (Mendi).

This tree grows to a height of 80 feet. Strips of the bark are used by

the natives for making brow-bands and shoulder-straps when carrying

palm hampers.

_Hexalobus grandiflorus_.* Njahewe (Mendi).

It is a large, wide-crowned tree, with conspicuous white flowers.

_Pachypodanthium Staudtii_.*

A large-boled forest tree, with grey, rough bark, of which the timber

is very hard to saw.

_Stenanthera hamata_.*

A small tree.

_Uvaria Afzelii_.*

A tree of 15 feet in height, with very heavy-scented flowers.

_Uvaria sp._*

A tall, straight tree, with blackish-green longitudinally ribbed bark.

_Uvaria macrocarpa_.* Finger Root.

This tree is found 15 feet in height. The root is used medicinally by

the Creoles, and by them called Finger Root.

=Myristicaceæ.=

_Pycnanthus Kombo_.* White Cedar. Kuwul (Timani); Boye (Mendi).

It is a very tall tree, attaining a girth of 12 feet, which is cut

locally, but not for export, owing to its soft wood and open grain.

=Moringaceæ.=

_Moringa pterygosperma_.* Horse-radish Tree; or Oil of Ben Tree.

The oil in the seeds is 38 per cent., and they are valued at £9 a ton

in London. The oil is suitable for lubricating clocks and watches. The

wood is not used.

=Rosaceæ.=

_Parinarium macrophyllum_.* Gingerbread Plum. Ndawei (Mendi).

It is a small tree bearing a fruit the size of a goose’s egg. The

fruit is the edible ginger-plum.

_Parinarium excelsum_.* Rough-skinned Plum. Abbis (Timani); Ndanwi

Badgi (Mendi).

This tree attains a large size and seeds very readily. It yields a

useful hardwood; is felled locally and for building purposes. The

grain of the wood is too open to be of much use for export. It is of a

reddish-brown colour. The pulp around the seed is eaten.

=Leguminosæ.=

_Paradaniella thurifera_.* Ilorin Balsam Tree. Bessi (Timani); Bessi

Kpessei or Gbassei (Mendi).

A quick-growing, soft-wooded tree, pretty evenly distributed through

the forest. It attains a girth of 9 feet and a bole length of 30 feet.

It is cut locally for house-building and other purposes. A fragrant

resin is exuded and much used as a scent by the Creoles and natives.

_Erythrophlœum Guineense_. Sasswood. Kukorn (Timani); Gogwi (Mendi).

A large but not very straight-growing tree, which attains a girth of 9

feet. It has been exported, but the price obtained for it is not

available. The wood is hard, but works up well, and has been used by

the Public Works Department of Southern Nigeria.

_Erythrophlœum sp._ near _E. micranthum_.* † Sasswood or Redwater Tree.

The bark contains a virulent poison, which is used as an ordeal. It is

a large forest tree, having a green bole. The wood is used to make

canoes.

_Erythrina Senegalensis_.*

A tree 20 feet high, with handsome red flowers. The branches are armed

with prickles. The wood is used for fencing.

_Erythrina sp._* Malei (Mendi).

This is a large tree, 80 feet in height, with wide-spreading branches.

The stem is pale grey and covered with strong prickles. The flowers

are pink.

_Piptadenia Africana_.* K’Kuperb (Timani); Mbeli or Mbelignli (Mendi).

This tree is very plentiful, and attains a large size. The wood is of

a brown colour, hard and durable. Strong canoes are made from it.

_Cynometra Vogelii_.*

A small tree.

_Xylia Evansii_.* † Bunga (Timani); Tegai (Mendi).

A medium tree.

_Griffonia palescens_. Koronko (Timani); Koronko (Mendi).

_Pentaclethra macrophylla_.* Oil Bean Tree. Kekung (Timani); Fai, Fae

(Mendi).

The wood is of a brown colour, hard and durable. The natives use the

ashes of the burnt pods for making soap. The wood is sold for 1s. 1d.

per cubic foot in the English market.

_Parkia Africana_. Locust Bean. Ebbe (Timani); Gumwi (Mendi).

_Parkia filicoidea_. Forest Locust. Gimwi (Mendi).

_Parkia biglobosa_.* Locust Bean.

A wide crowned tree, 50 feet in height, bearing conspicuous red

flowers and long pods. The pulp around the seed is edible, but the

seed itself is considered a great delicacy ground and mixed in soup.

_Parkia sp._ Gumni (Mendi).

The tree is much like the _P. biglobosa_, but is found growing wild in

the forests. It differs in having well-developed buttress roots. The

seed is not eaten.

_Lonchocarpus_. Mountain Mahogany. Ali (Timani); Jumbowill (Mendi),

probably Peltophorum sp.

A very tall and straight tree, with a bole of 50 feet and a girth of

10 feet. It is found everywhere, especially on the edges of old

clearings and in old farms. It has been felled for export, but no data

are available as to its worth. The wood resembles pine, being soft and

full of resin-like canals.

_Lonchocarpus cyanescens_.* Big-leaved Indigo. Jalei, Walwei (Mendi).

A valuable dye is obtained from the leaves, which takes the place of

indigo and is sold at from 4s. to 4s. 6d. a pound in England.

_Lonchocarpus sericeus_.*

A branched and gnarled tree growing on the sea shore, its roots often

being washed by the tide. The timber is close-grained, hard and

durable.

_Cassia Sieberiana_.* Bongbo or Bangbwei (Mendi).

A small tree bearing handsome yellow flowers. A decoction is made from

the root to ease elephantiasis, also stomach troubles.

_Copaifera Guibourtiana_.* Sierra Leone Gum Copal. Akak (Timani); Kobwi

(Mendi).

This tree was found growing on the ridges and low-lying land near York

and Bureh Town, also in Ronietta, Karene District, and Kassewe Hills.

It is noted for its gum. The dead wood works up very well, having a

fine grain and red colour, and should be of value for export. Locally

it has only been used for bridge-building. The average price paid by

local traders for the gum appears to be 1s. a pound.

_Copaifera salikounda_.* Buini (Mendi).

A large tree.

_Pterocarpus esculentus_. Atont (Timani); Batwi (Mendi).

_Pterocarpus erinaceus_.* Rosewood. Katai (Timani); Bundwi Batwi

(Mendi).

This is a small but valuable tree, confined principally to the drier

parts of the country, particularly in the Karina forests. The wood

finds a good market in France. Locally it is used to make a musical

instrument called “Balangi.” The seeds are intoxicating when eaten

raw.

_Macrolobium sp._ Jamostima (Mendi).

_Macrolobium Palisotii_. K’Pal (Timani); Bumbi (Mendi).

_Macrolobium sp.?_* _Limba?_ African Violet Wood. Tunfall (Timani);

Pfandi or Mbombi (Mendi).

It yields a wood with a pleasant scent, which grows to a stem length

of 20 feet and girth of 12 feet. The wood would probably be figured,

owing to its peculiar growth, ebony-like, hard, heavy and of a

greenish-brown colour. It bears a pod about a foot long and an inch

wide. The tree grows in great quantities, but it is not used locally,

owing to its hardness. It should be tried in European markets.

_Macrolobium elongatum_.*

It is a small shrubby tree.

_Macrolobium sp._ near _M. Heudelotii_.* †

A medium-sized tree found chiefly near water. The pod is larger than

the other Macrolobiums.

_Macrolobium Limba_.* Mbombi (Mendi).

This tree reaches a height of 40 feet. Its roasted leaves, when ground

and mixed with water and ashes, are used for ulcers.

_Dialium Guineense_.* Black Tumbler or Velvet Tamarind. Mabump (Temni),

(Timani); Mamboi (Mendi).

A medium-sized tree bearing edible, velvety seed-vessels.

_Dialium Senegalense_. Black Tumbler. Baut, I (Timani); Burogono Mambui

(Mendi).

_Afzelia bracteata_.* Konta. Konta (Timani); Bendiguri or Kpendeideli

(Mendi).

_Afzelia Africana_.*

These two trees are very much alike as far as timber is concerned. The

wood is much used locally, and it may be of value for export, as the

texture is similar to mahogany. The _A. Africana_ yields a

particularly good mahogany substitute under the name of Kontah or

Counter wood.

_Afzelia sp._*

A large-crowned tree.

_Berlinia acuminata_.* Kpendei (Mendi).

This tree grows to a height of 80 feet, having a very conspicuous

flower. It is much used in cabinet-making.

_B. Heudelotiana_.* Helei (Mendi).

A large tree, 50 feet in height.

_B. sp._ near _B. stipulaceæ_.* Tzabembi (Mendi).

A large tree, the seeds of which are made into counters by the Mendis

to play Warry.

_Brachystegia sp._* Bodgei (Mendi).

It reaches the height of 150 feet, and is one of the largest forest

trees, with wide buttress roots.

_Cryptosepalum tetraphyllum_.* Hellebolei (Mendi).

A large tree.

_Cylicodiscus gabunensis_.* African Greenheart. Mbeli-deli (Mendi).

It is very similar to _Piptadenia Africana_ in appearance, and also

yields a strong, hard wood.

_Dalbergia sp._* Dalbergia Rosewood. Balakenta (Timani); Firbandu

Ndambabuli (Mendi).

A small tree.

_Baphia polygalaceæ_.* Ndambabuli (Mendi).

A climber, 10 feet in height. The stem used for killing fish.

_Baphia nitida_.* Camwood Tree. Mat, Kam (Timani); Bendwi or Bunduei

(Mendi).

A small tree from which dyewood, a fast red dye, is obtained. The wood

is hard and heavy, and is used for rice-mortar pestles and walking-

sticks.

_Albizzia Brownii_.* Albizzia. Bakbwi or Bpakpei (Mendi).

This is a medium-sized tree yielding a reddish wood of moderately fine

grain, somewhat resembling mahogany. The heartwood is very pretty. It

should be saleable in Liverpool market.

_Albizzia fastigiata_.* Folei-kpakpei, Bakbaboi (Mendi).

This species rarely attains a diameter at the base of more than 18

inches. It nearly always has a rotten heart.

_Detarium Senegalense_.* Mahogany, Dita. Kita (Timani); Dupwi II, Kolei

(Mendi).

It is a very lofty tree, which yields a wood sold as mahogany in the

Liverpool market. The grain is not so close as is usual in mahogany,

but the colour is good. The fruit is edible and eaten locally. Dita is

the name given to it. It is not very common.

_Detarium sp._*

A large tree of 60 or 70 feet in height, probably a new species.

_Millettia_ cf. _drastica_.*

A small tree.

_Millettia Lane-Poolei_.* Togbeli (Mendi).

A small tree or shrub about 15 feet in height, with white, scentless

flowers. There are three other varieties, with flowers ranging from

white and pink to mauve.

_Millettia pallens_.*

A medium-sized tree with mauve flowers.

_Millettia sp._ near _M. Sangana_.*

A medium-sized tree with erect pods and mauve flowers.

_Millettia rhodantha_.*

A medium-sized tree with yellow, aromatic wood.

_Mimosa Dinklagei_.* Gumgui (Mendi).

A medium-sized tree, 50 feet in height.

_Newtonia insignis_.*

A tree about 80 feet in height, with well developed buttress roots.

_Peltophorum_.* Njomboguli (Mendi).

A large tree.

_Ormosia monophylla_.*

=Linaceæ.=

_Ochthocosmus Africanum_.* Tuanyei (Mendi).

A small, fairly common tree.

=Humiriaceæ.=

_Saccoglottis Gabunensis_.*

This tree yields a first-class timber. The bark strips off cleanly and

is sold in Calabar at 5s. a roll 30 inches long and 18 inches in

diameter.

=Rutaceæ.=

_Zanthoxylum macrophyllum_.* Spiny Satinwood. Witkoran (Timani); Pfui

II (Mendi).

This tree yields a very pretty yellow wood, with a somewhat open

grain.

_Zanthoxylum sp._ Satinwood. Bek (Timani); Pfui (Mendi).

A medium-sized tree, with most peculiar conically shaped woody

protrusions on the bark. It has not been cut locally.

_Zanthoxylum rubescens_.*

An armed tree from 12 to 15 feet high.

=Burseraceæ.=

_Canarium Schweinfurthii_. White Mahogany. Beri (Mendi).

This tree is not very common. A very large tree which has been found

150 feet high, with a bole of 70 feet and a girth of 10 feet. It could

be cut locally and would make a valuable addition to local furniture

woods. It is, however, hard to saw.

=Meliaceæ.=

_Lovoa Klaineana_.* † African Walnut.

It is a medium-sized tree, not very common; the value of the timber

varies from 1¾d. to 3d. per foot.

_Lovoa sp._ near _L. Klaineana_. African Walnut.

A medium-sized tree.

_Carapa procera_.* Crabwood, Coondi, Kakunt (Timani); Kuwi Kowi

(Mendi).

It is a medium-sized tree, which is evenly distributed everywhere. It

yields a mahogany-like wood, which has been sold in the Liverpool

market.

_Carapa Gayensis_.

_Guarea_. Satin Mahogany. Kaffi (Mendi).

A fair-sized tree, having a grain similar to mahogany, but with a

satiny sheen which may make it very valuable. It is not cut locally,

but might be tried for export.

_Guarea sp._ near _leptotricha_.* † Kaffi (Mendi).

A tree.

_Pseudocedrela_. Cedar Mahogany. Bissimi (Mendi).

This tree grows to a very large size. The timber is similar to that of

a tree found in Southern Nigeria, but it appears to be a different

species; the sapwood is wider and the heartwood has a better colour.

It is fairly common.

_Pseudocedrela sp._ near _P. utilis_.*

A large tall tree, yielding a handsome wood.

_Ekebergia_.*

Medium-sized tree.

_Khaya_.*

Dr. A. H. Unwin found a Khaya in a Gola forest which has since been

ceded to Liberia. The Khayas yield timber (African Mahogany), gum,

tanning-barks and medicaments.

_Trichilia Heudelotii_.*

_Trichilia sp._ near _T. Prieuriana_.*

A medium-sized tree.

_Trichilia sp._* Jawei (Mendi).

_Turræa sp._*

A small tree, from 12 to 15 feet.

=Polygalaceæ.=

_Carpolobia alba_.* Bofelei or Gibofoyoi (Mendi).

It is a small tree called Poor Man’s Candle.

_Carpolobia lutea_.*

A shrub or small tree.

=Dichapetalaceæ.=

_Chailletia toxicaria_.* Magbevi (Mendi).

A violent poison is made from the kernel, used by the natives to

destroy dogs and vermin. They have also used it to poison well-water

in hostile villages. The pulp of the fruit is harmless and edible.

=Euphorbiaceæ.=

_Ricinodendron Heudelotii_. Mahogany. Kino (Timani); Boi (Mendi).

This tree yields a mahogany valued at 2d.-3½d. per superficial foot.

It is rather an uncommon tree, but as it seeds very readily and

develops rapidly, more could be planted. A large number are found

along the river banks.

_Ricinodendron Africanus_.* Gbolei (Mendi).

A tree 90 feet high with horse-chestnutlike leaf. The timber is soft,

and used for making masks for Bundu devils, also rice spoons and

plates. The seeds are rich in oil, but the natives do not extract it;

they are, however, used by the native women in the rattle for their

Bundu dance.

_Uapaca Guineensis_.* Sugar Plum, Red Cedar. Kulil (Timani); Kondi

(Mendi).

A large spreading tree with aerial roots. It is cut locally and used

for the ribs of local boats. The wood is of a reddish colour and fine

grain, which might sell as mahogany. Some species yield edible fruits.

_Uapaca Heudelotii_.*

This is a tree growing up to 60 feet along the bank of the Moo River.

_Uapaca Togoensis_.*

This tree grows in the riverside forests.

_Oldfieldia Africana_.* Real African Oak. Tortorza (Timani); Paulai,

Pawi Kpaoloe (Mendi).

This tree attains a large size, a height of 120 feet and diameter at

the base of 5½ feet. The bole often reaches 60 feet without a branch,

though sometimes the bole is short, owing to its growing in a laterite

soil. It is more frequent in the southern than the northern forests.

It has not been cut locally, though the natives recognise it as a very

hard wood. It has been used for dock gates.

_Cyclostemon_. Toye (Mendi).

_Flueggea microcarpa_.* Tigwi (Mendi).

_Amanoa bracteata_.* Jagbouei (Mendi).

A tree which grows up to 5 feet in diameter, and straight from the

ground to a height of 60 feet. It is then much branched. The timber is

not used.

_Anthostema Senegalense_.* Mamboi (Mendi).

It is a small tree growing on the sea shore.

_Antidesma laciniatum_.

A tree attaining a height of 25 feet.

_Bridelia ferruginea_.*

It is a small tree of about 20 feet high, very much branched. All

through the dry season it drips water at night.

_Bridelia micrantha_.* Igili (Mendi).

This species also reaches a height of 20 feet. It is used for making

charcoal, and a medicine is made from meat stewed in the water in

which the roots have been boiled.

_Hasskarlia didymostemon_.*

This tree grows to a height of 50 feet, with a diameter at the base of

20 feet. It is one of the diœcious trees.

_Hymenocardia acida_.* Fagbajoi (Mendi).

A small tree, knotted, gnarled and branched, growing both in the open

and in the forest.

_Hymenocardia Heudelotii_.*

A small tree.

_Hymenocardia lyrata_.* †

This species is found in the peninsular forests.

_Macaranga Barteri_.* Ndeiwei (Mendi).

It is a medium-sized armed tree, reaching about 50 feet, and 18 inches

in diameter at the base. A light wood used for firewood.

_Macaranga heterophylla_.* Fofui (Mendi).

A medium-sized tree.

_Macaranga monandra_.* Ndeiwei (Mendi).

It is a medium-sized armed tree, up to 50 feet high, and 8 inches at

the base, with reddish-brown pubescent branches. It is useless except

as firewood.

_Mæsobotrya sp._*

A small tree.

_Mareya spicata_.* Nguangua (Mendi).

A tree reaching 30 feet in height. The leaves have a bitter taste; a

decoction of them is used as a poison.

_Microdesmis puberula_.* Nikli (Mendi).

A small tree, reaching about 15 feet in height. The fruit is edible.

_Phyllanthus discoideus_.* Tijoi (Mendi).

A common tree, 60 feet in height, with a diameter of 18 inches.

=Anacardiaceæ.=

_Mangifera Africana_.* White Oak or Greenheart. Peri (Timani); Bewe-

Bauban (Mendi).

A tree growing to 40 feet in height, with root flanges extending 10

feet up the stem; it has a girth of 12 feet. The tree is cut locally.

The seeds are edible.

_Spondias lutea_.* Common Plum or the Hog Plum of the Creoles. Luep

(Timani); Bogi or Gbojei (Mendi).

A large tree, with rough, grey bark; it resists the grass fires very

well. They yield timber, tanning material, medicaments and edible

fruit, from which a spirituous drink is prepared.

_Odina sp._*

It reaches a height of 30 feet.

_Sorindeia juglandifolia_.* Creole Damson. Ni-Kaffei (Mendi).

A tree of 50 feet in height, having aerial roots. A broken branch or

scraped root has a resinous smell.

=Icacinaceæ.=

_Leptaulos daphnoides_.* Propri (Timani); Bongani (Mendi).

A small tree.

=Sapindaceæ.=

_Bersama Paullinioides_.* Nyomdobai (Mendi).

A tree growing to a height of 35 feet. It is regarded as an evil tree,

and neither man nor beast touches it. A poison is extracted from the

root, with which Mendis poison their enemies.

_Lecaniodiscus cupanioides_.* †

A small tree.

_Phialodiscus unijugatus_.* Yokomi (Mendi).

A tree of 50 feet in height. This tree bears conspicuous red capsules,

which contain black seeds having a yellow ovule. The leaves and twigs

are macerated in pools in the rivers to kill fish.

_Schmidelia Africana_.* Komigbulei (Mendi).

A small tree.

=Tiliaceæ.=

_Glyphæa Grewioides_.* Swamp Rice. Beibolei (Mendi).

A decoction of the leaves is used for curing gonorrhœa.

=Bombacaceæ.=

_Adansonia digitata_.* Baobab, Cream of Tartar or Monkey Bread. Ungari

(Timani); Sackwi Mbauwi (Mendi).

It is a slow-growing tree, but a valuable one, yielding fibre, paper

pulp and a native medicine. Sodium chloride, potassium and acid

tartrate have been found in the leaves.

_Bombax Buonopozense_.* Kinguei (Mendi).

A large deciduous tree, often called the Red Cotton Tree on account of

its flowers. It yields a fibre called Kapok.

_Eriodendron anfractuosum_. Cotton Tree. Pullum (Timani); Ungwe

(Mendi).

_Eriodendron orientale_.* Cotton Tree. Nhuei (Mendi).

The Cotton Tree of commerce. The fibre fetches from 2d. to 4d. a pound

in London. It grows readily from seed. The seed is valuable, as it

yields an oil, and the ash of the seed contains 28·5 per cent. of

phosphoric acid and 24·6 per cent. of potash (the latter makes a

valuable manure). The wood is used locally for canoes and platters.

=Sterculiaceæ.=

_Sterculia tragacantha_.* African Tragacantha. Kobei (Mendi).

The ashes are used for soap. It yields a gum similar to that of

Tragacanth, _Astragalus gummifer_.

_Sterculia cordifolia_. Red Oak. K’fut (Timani); Buni (Mendi).

_Cola acuminata_.* The Kola Tree. Tuloi (Mendi).

This tree yields the Kola nut, a most valuable export. Very little,

however, is sent to Europe, but great quantities to French Senegal. It

contains great stimulating properties, and enables travellers to march

long distances without food. The tree grows wild in certain forests,

and begins to yield at six or seven years old. The nut is little

thought of by Europeans, owing to its bitter taste. The price varies

from £10 to £12 a measure (160 lb.).

_Cola angustifolia_.* Denbehawi (Mendi).

A small tree, the leaves of which are used as a stomach medicine. The

Munchis use the wood to make their short bows.

_Cola leonensis_.* † Booni (Mendi).

A small tree with large leaves.

_Cola simiarum_.* Baboon Kola. N’goloduloi (Mendi).

A large tree, 60 feet in height. A fine specimen of it grows over the

wooden bridge at Kennema.

_Heritiera_.* Red Cedar or Harmon. Yawi (Mendi).

It yields a very handsome, easily worked wood, useful for any purpose.

The fruit is edible.

_Leptonychia_.* Mbagboldede (Mendi).

It grows only to the size of a shrub or small tree. The leaves are

used to cure thorn wounds.

=Ochnaceæ.=

_Lophira procera_.* African Oak, Red Ironwood, Ironpost. Ringa

(Timani); Hendui or Endwi (Mendi).

This tree attains about the same size of the Oldfieldia; there does

not seem to be any microscopical difference in the texture or grain of

the wood. It is much used by builders, as it is proof against the

attacks of termites. This tree also yields oily seeds and medicaments.

_Lophira Alata_.* Katank (Timani); Endwi (Mendi).

A small tree having seed yielding 43 per cent. oil, valued at £24 to

£25 a ton.

_Gomphia congesta_.* Colonguli (Mendi).

A small tree undergrowth.

_Ochna sp._*

A small tree.

=Guttiferæ.=

_Ochrocarpus Africanus_.* African Apple or Mammy Apple Tree. Mammee,

Bakum (Timani); Kaikumba (Mendi).

A large tree, attaining a girth of 10 feet and a bole of from 20 to 30

feet. It has been cut locally, and is much prized on account of its

pretty grain and red colour. It is used for joinery and similar work.

_Garcinia Kola_.* † Kofé (Mendi).

_Garcinia epunctata_.* †

A small tree.

_Garcinia polyantha_.* Bitter Kola. Sagbei (Mendi).

This is a small tree with thick yellow latex; the fruit is edible.

_Pentadesma butyraceæ_.* Chewstick. Komdi (Timani); Mdayen (Mendi).

Chewstick. This is a very prevalent tree, though it does not reach

very stout dimensions. The roots are used extensively for native

chewsticks.

_Haronga Madagascariensis_.* Mbeli (Mendi).

It is a small tree which grows readily on farm lands. The juice below

the bark is orange-red. The wood resembles that of Proteaceous trees

and is very beautiful.

_Mammea sapota_.*

Locally called Mammy Supporter. It is a handsome tree and has an

edible fruit.

_Vismia leonensis_.*

A small tree of 15 feet.

_Allanblackia floribunda_.*

A medium-sized tree.

=Violaceæ.=

_Alsodeia sp._*

A small tree. Some of these yield timber.

_Alsodeia sp._*

A medium-sized tree growing near the river.

=Flacourtiaceæ.=

_Homalium molle_.* Niagalei (Mendi).

It is a large tree, very tall and straight.

_Homalium sp._* Kologalei (Mendi).

A large straight tree, often confused with _H. molle_.

=Rhizophoraceæ.=

_Anisophyllea laurina_.* Monkey Apple. Kant (Timani); Kanti (Mendi).

This is a very lofty tree, with a bole of 40 feet and girth of 12

feet. It has not been tried as timber away from the locality, but

should be valuable as an export, having a pretty grain, full of

medullary rays. The local value is 3d. to 6d. per lineal foot. It is

fairly common in the forest, but very plentiful outside, as it shoots

up from the stump when cut down. Naturally, the wood from such trees

is not so good as from seedlings.

_Rhizophora racemosa_.* Mangrove. Dingi (Mendi).

This is a small tree of the swamps which is found very useful for

poles and firewood. It fetches a high price from the bakers—£1 10s. to

£1 15s. a cord. The bark contains 18 per cent. of tannin.

=Combretaceæ.=

_Anogeissus_.* †

A chewstick with a black heart. It will kill out Lalong grass.

_Laguncularia racemosa_.*

This is a shrub which grows in the mangrove swamps. It yields a

second-rate tannin bark.

_Terminalia scutifera_.* †

A large straight, tall-boled tree, yielding a useful timber to

shipwrights.

_Terminalia sp._* Bagi (Mendi).

A very large tree, even taller than _T. superba_, and the timber is

yellower. The tree is gnarled and much branched near the sea-shore.

The wood is much used for canoes. Dye and a yellow wash for sore feet

are obtained from the bark.

_Terminalia superba_.* Kojagei (Mendi).

A very large tree of 150 feet or more. The timber is soft and white,

used for indoor work, but it is much attacked by borers.

=Myrtaceæ.=

_Eugenia calophylloides_.*

A small tree.

=Melastomaceæ.=

_Memecylon_, cf. _M. spathulandra_.†

It is a small tree growing in the swamps near Bureh town.

=Araliaceæ.=

_Cussonia Djalonensis_.

A medium-sized to large tree growing in the savannah forests. It has a

thick grey, rough bark.

=Sapotaceæ.=

_Mimusops sp._ Benin Mahogany. Tuntumi (Timani); Sukai I (Mendi).

It is a kind of mahogany which is very common, and attains a girth of

12 feet, with a smaller bole than the ordinary mahogany. The wood is

of a reddish colour and rather hard. This tree is found growing at a

higher altitude than most timber trees, which makes the forest

situated at 2,000 feet much more valuable.

_Mimusops sp._ Mahogany substitute. Bobbyboya Water (Timani).

This is a very large tree, with hard red wood sold as mahogany, not

very plentiful.

_Mimusops_. Mahogany substitute. Abugie (Mendi).

Another species of hard mahogany. It is not very plentiful, but worthy

of export. It is of large size and good “form figure,” somewhat the

shape of a cylinder.

_Mimusops Djave_.* †

A large beautiful tree, yielding a valuable sound timber.

_Mimusops_. African Pearwood. Sukai II (Mendi).

A large tree with a good bole. It has been exported and sold in the

Hamburg market at 6d. a foot. The wood is of a reddish colour, a

little harder than mahogany, and of close grain. It would pay to plant

out any seedlings found.

_Sideroxylon longistylum_. Kafe or Kaffi (Mendi).

Some species yield timber, edible seeds and medicaments.

_Sideroxylon Alymerii_. Teyei (Mendi).

A medium-sized tree bearing a seed rich in oil. The oil of the seed is

very like that of the coconut in taste; it is used for frying food or

for hair-oil.

_Chrysophyllum sp._ Tuinynelli (Mendi).

All the Chrysophyllum species yield timber and edible fruits.

_Chrysophyllum sp._ Star-apple. Terle (Mendi).

_Chrysophyllum ellipticus_.* Beari (Mendi).

A small species growing on the sea-shore.

_Chrysophyllum_. African Star-apple. Bungi (Mendi).

_Chrysophyllum pruniforme_.* Heleilahin (Mendi).

Elephants are fond of the bark.

=Ebenaceæ.=

_Diospyros sp._* †

A medium-sized ebony.

_Maba Mannii_.

A tree.

=Loganiaceæ.=

_Anthocleista nobilis_.* Pongoi-hei (Mendi).

This is a larger species than the _A. parviflora_; it is not armed.

The root is used as a medicine. The wood is soft and useless.

_Anthocleista parviflora_.* Pongoi-hini (Mendi).

In English sometimes called Cabbage Palm. This species reaches

scarcely over 30 feet in height; it is armed with strong, twin-set

spines. The wood is soft and useless.

=Apocynaceæ.=

_Funtumia elastica_.* African Rubber Tree. Emarr (Timani); Buboi

(Mendi).

This tree grows to a height of 50 feet. It is rare in Sierra Leone,

but has been found in Kagnari, Nimmini and Loma Mountains. It yields a

good rubber.

_Funtumia Africana_.* Rubber. Buboi (Mendi).

This species grows to a height of 70 feet. It yields an abundant latex

of no commercial value.

_Polyadoa Elliotii_. Boxwood. K’Palen (Timani); Kofee or Kofei (Mendi).

It is a small tree with greenish pimply bark. The wood is very hard,

like boxwood, and is used to make hair combs and hoe handles. Medicine

is made from the bark.

_Alstonia Congensis_.* † Kauwi (Mendi).

A large, tall tree with a straight stem, found in the peninsular

forests.

_Landolphia Owariensis jenje_.* Common Rubber Vine. Huwi Djenjei

(Mendi).

The export of this rubber was at one time very profitable, but the

natives overtapped the tree, and even dug up the roots to extract the

rubber. The fruit of this species is edible.

_Landolphia Heudelotii_.*

This is a climber 40 feet in height, and one of the most valuable of

the Landolphias, found in many parts; but it is the characteristic

vegetation of the dry interior of Senegambia and the Upper Niger.

_Landolphia leonensis_.* Nali (Mendi).

A climber reaching the tops of the highest trees. The fruit is 3½

inches in diameter. The pulp around the seed is edible. The latex is

used as bird-lime, but yields no rubber, and cannot even be used as an

adulterant.

_Callichilia subsessilis_.*

It is a shrub or small tree having a handsome flower.

_Conopharyngia crassa_.*

A small tree bearing a double fruit as large as a child’s head.

_C. longiflora_.*

A small tree bearing a conspicuous heavy-scented flower.

_Holarrhena Africana_.* Nukoi (Mendi).

A small or medium-sized tree. Wooden serving spoons for rice are made

from the wood. The leaves beaten to a pulp are used for poultices.

_Holarrhena ovata_.* Bubbuoi (Mendi).

Used as a stirring-stick.

_Pleioceras Afzelii_.

A small tree.

_Pleiocarpa tricarpella_.

A small tree.

_Rauwolfia vomitoria_. Kawogei (Mendi).

A very common small tree, 20 feet high. Swizzle-sticks for mixing

drinks are made from it, and the natives use the large branches for

mixing indigo dye.

_Voacanga Africana_.*

A tree 30 feet high bearing very fragrant flowers.

_Voacanga obtusa_.*

A tall tree.

_Voacanga Thonnersii_.*

A medium-sized tree of 50 feet in height, with ornamental cream

flowers. It has been seen growing in the swamp-land near the 180th

milestone on the railway to Kennema.

=Asclepiadaceæ.=

_Xysmalobium granitiolum_.

A small tree in the river bed.

=Borraginaceæ.=

_Cordia sp._ Kpetellahen (Mendi).

It is a large tree growing on river banks. The bark is edible.

=Verbenaceæ.=

_Vitex grandifolia_.

Some of this species yield timber, vegetables, edible fruits and

medicaments.

_Vitex Cienkowskii_.* Heinokohun (Mendi).

A tall tree growing at the edge of the forest.

_Vitex doniana_.* Lubei (Mendi).

A small tree growing in the savannah country in the Koinadugu

district. An ink made from the leaves is used by the Mohammedan

teachers.

_Vitex micrantha_.* Fevei (Mendi).

A tree reaching a height of 70 feet and 2 feet 6 inches at the base.

The timber is useful for many purposes. The Mohammedan teacher has his

school slates made from it.

_Vitex oxycuspis_.* †

A small tree.

_Avicennia Africana_.*

A small tree growing in the mangrove swamps.

_Premna hispida_.* Kafei (Mendi).

A small tree. A decoction for ulcerated mouths is made from the

leaves.

=Bignoniaceæ.=

_Spathodea campanulata_.* Tulip Tree.

It is a large tree yielding timber, edible seeds and medicaments. It

is also used as an ornamental tree.

_Newbouldia lævis_.* Anyolo (Timani); Bogi Ponamagbei (Mendi).

It is a tree reaching a height of 40 feet. Its use is principally

medicinal. The root and leaves are used for scrotal elephantiasis, and

a decoction from the bark is applied to sore feet. It is much used for

quick fences, as it grows readily from stakes.

_Kigelia_.*

A tree 50 feet in height.

_Stereospermum leonense_.*

A medium-sized tree bearing pink blossoms.

=Rubiaceæ.=

_Morinda sp.? citrifolia_.* Brimstone. Ketum (Timani); Bundwi Bundui

(Mendi).

This tree grows to a height of 150 feet, and has been found with a

bole of 50 feet, a girth of 16 to 20 feet, and diameter of 5 feet

without any branches. The wood is of a bright yellow colour, commonly

used for weather-boards. It is sold near Freetown at 10s. per 100

feet. Its English name is given because of the peculiar colour of the

wood. Its durability and ant-resisting qualities have given it a high

place among the local timbers. It is used for building wooden vessels,

mortars, etc. It will shoot up from the stump, so a good deal of small

timber is obtained from old farms. Neither its colour nor grain make

it of any worth for export. The bark is made into a decoction for

malaria, and the natives after marching bathe their feet in the water

in which it has been boiled.

_Morinda confusa_.* Wawae (Mendi).

It is a climber, the leaves of which are used in medicine.

_Morinda quadrangularis_.* Brimstone Bush. Jashuli (Mendi).

A small tree, 30 feet in height and about 1¼ feet in diameter at the

base. It is only useful as firewood. The leaves are used as medicine

in various diseases; supposed to be specially efficacious for malaria.

_Pausynistalia Lane-Poolei_.* Gibowali (Mendi).

It is a large tree having green-brown deciduous bark, on which marked

depressions are left when it comes off. The bole is straight and

branchless up to 40 feet. The flowers are light yellow on first coming

out, afterwards turning a purple pink.

_Pavetta Baconia_.*

A shrub or small tree.

_Psilanthus ebracteolatus_.*

A small tree, 20 feet in height, having white flowers.

_Bertiera glabrata_.* Kafahinei (Mendi).

A small tree, 25 feet in height. The leaves are made into a medicine

to soothe teething babies.

_Blighia sapida_.* Akee Tree. Islii of the Akus.

It is cultivated for its fruit, which is wholesome and savoury.

_Canthium discolor_.* Totengei (Mendi).

A shrub to small tree with strong, sharp spines.

_Corynanthe paniculata_.* Gibowuli (Mendi).

A tree 50 feet high.

_Craterispermum laurinum_.* Alum Bark. Njelei (Mendi).

A tree 25 feet in height, having a diameter of 1 foot at the base. The

bark, when dried and beaten into powder, is used as a remedy for sore

feet. The wood splits easily and is used in thatching.

_Crossopteryx Kotschyana?_ or _Africana_.*

A small tree.

_Croton penduliflorus_.*

A small tree of 35 feet.

_Gaertnera paniculata_.*

This is only found as a small tree on the sea-shore, but said to grow

big in the forest.

_Gardenia sp._ near _G. physophylla_.* Buittigirri (Mendi).

A medium-sized tree growing in swamps.

_Heinsia jasminiflora_.* Pegblagei (Mendi).

It is a tree of about 20 feet in height; the flowers white and much

like jasmin. Scrapings of the bark are used for irritation of the skin

at rice-harvest.

_Mitragyne_. Mbuandae or M’boy (Mendi).

A large, tall tree, 100 feet high and 4½ feet in diameter at the base.

It is only found in swamp-land. It yields a light, white wood much

used in indoor work. The leaves are very large and are used for

wrapping kolas; they are sold in Freetown at 3d. a bundle.

_Morelia Senegalensis_.*

This is a small tree half scandent.

_Oxyanthus unilocularis_.*

A small tree.

_Oxyanthus speciosus_. Pebulai (Mendi).*

This tree is common near Freetown. The bark is aromatic, and when

dried in the sun is used as a scent.

_Randia acuminata_.*

A small tree with large oval fruit.

_Randia genipæflora_.*

A shrub or small tree.

_Randia macrantha_.*

A small tree common everywhere. It bears handsome white fragrant bell-

flowers. The black pulp around the seed is edible.

_Randia malleifera_.* Pondei (Mendi).

A small tree bearing very fragrant white bell-flowers. The seeds when

ground are mixed with water to make a sort of black paint used by the

native women.

_Randia sp._ near _R. macrantha_.*

A small tree, 20 feet in height, bearing an oval-shaped fruit.

_Randia sp._ near _R. caudata_.*

A small tree, 25 feet high, bearing small but conspicuous fan-shaped

fragrant flowers.

_Vangueria nigrescens_.

A small tree.

_Sarcocephalus esculentus_.* Sierra Leone Peach. Ameliki (Timani);

Golli Nyumbuyambei (Mendi).

A very common tree growing to a height of 25 feet. It has conspicuous

white heads of flowers and an edible fruit.

=Compositæ.=

_Vernonia conferta_. African Cabbage Tree, the Soap Tree. Kupkup

(Timani); Kongoli (Mendi).

A small tree about 25 feet in height, growing in the rain forest. The

burnt ashes are used in soap-making and the sediment, when dried, is

used as snuff or Lubi.

APPENDIX I

SIERRA LEONE—FOREST EXPORTS

[Quant.: Quantity.]

---------+-------------------+-------------------+--------------------

| 1910. | 1911. | 1912.

Products.+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+----------

| Quant. | Value. | Quant. | Value. | Quant. | Value.

---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+----------

| | £ | | £ | | £

| | | | | |

Camwood | — | 142| 13·382 | 67| — | 36

| | | tons | | |

| | | | | |

Coconuts | — | 116| — | 54| — | 99

| | | | | |

Cocoa | — | 41| — | — | — | 17

seeds | | | | | |

| | | | | |

African | 3·544 | 303| 10·559 | 501| 7·062 | 347

coffee | tons | | tons | | tons |

| | | | | |

Gum copal| 16·446 | 3,075| 27·768 | 2,965| 17·010 | 1,606

| tons | | tons | | tons |

| | | | | |

Ground | 1,229 | 214|874 bush.| 189| 1,202 | 257

nuts | bush. | | | | bush. |

| | | | | |

Kola | — | 12| — | 3| — | —

(bitter) | | | | | |

| | | | | |

Kola | 0·794 | 10| 2·698 | 51| 2·908 | 56

nuts | tons | | tons | | tons |

(dried) | | | | | |

| | | | | |

Kola | 1,924 | 279,185| 1,596 | 194,260| 1,649 | 276,473

nuts | tons | | tons | | tons |

(fresh) | | | | | |

| | | | | |

Palm oil | 436,144 | 38,537| 725,648 | 69,927| 728,509 | 67,314

| gals. | | gals. | | gals. |

| | | | | |

Palm | 35,915 | 559,313| 42,892 | 657,348| 50,750 | 793,177

kernels | tons | | tons | | tons |

| | | | | |

Piassava |983 tons | 19,492|906 tons | 12,501| 1,146 | 15,461

| | | | | tons |

| | | | | |

Rubber | 2·266 | 364| 18·501 | 5,917| 9·808 | 2,962

| tons | | tons | | tons |

| | | | | |

Shea | — | 15| — | 1| — | 3

butter | | | | | |

| | | | | |

Shea nuts| 3·685 | 27| — | — | — | —

| tons | | | | |

---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+----------

TOTALS | 38,848 | 900,846| 45,468 | 943,791| 53,583 |1,157,816

| tons | | tons | | tons |

| | | | | |

| 1,229 | |874 bush.| | 1,202 |

| bush. | | | | bush. |

| | | | | |

| 436,144 | | 725,648 | | 728,509 |

| gals. | | gals. | | gals. |

---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+----------

[Continued]

---------+-------------------+--------------------

| 1913. | 1914.

Products.+---------+---------+---------+----------

| Quant. | Value. | Quant. | Value.

---------+---------+---------+---------+----------

| | £ | | £

| | | |

Camwood | — | — | — | 142

| | | |

Coconuts | — | 114| — | 116

| | | |

Cocoa | — | 52| — | 41

seeds | | | |

| | | |

African | 7·632 | 598| 3·549 | 303

coffee | tons | | tons |

| | | |

Gum copal| 23·764 | 2,682| 16·258 | 3,075

| tons | | tons |

| | | |

Ground | 2,448 | 488| 1,229 | 214

nuts | bush. | | bush. |

| | | |

Kola | — | 30| — | 12

(bitter) | | | |

| | | |

Kola | 0·843 | 66| 0·794 | 10

nuts | tons | | tons |

(dried) | | | |

| | | |

Kola | 1,865 | 328,003| 1,924 | 279,185

nuts | tons | | tons |

(fresh) | | | |

| | | |

Palm oil | 617,088 | 56,659| 436,144 | 38,537

| gals. | | gals. |

| | | |

Palm | 49,201 | 920,943| 35,915 | 559,313

kernels | tons | | tons |

| | | |

Piassava |839 tons | 12,280|983 tons | 19,492

| | | |

Rubber | 5·500 | 1,292| 2·775 | 364

| tons | | tons |

| | | |

Shea | — | — | — | 15

butter | | | |

| | | |

Shea nuts| — | — | 3·700 | 27

| | | tons |

---------+---------+---------+---------+----------

TOTALS | 51,943 |1,323,207| 38,849 | 900,846

| tons | | tons |

| | | |

| 2,448 | | 1,229 |

| bush. | | bush. |

| | | |

| 617,088 | | 436,144 |

| gals. | | gals. |

---------+---------+---------+---------+----------

APPENDIX II

SIERRA LEONE—FOREST EXPORTS

------------------+----------+---------+----------+-------+---------

Articles. | 1827. | 1828. | 1829. | 1830. | 1831.

------------------+----------+---------+----------+-------+---------

Timber, loads | 10,742 | 1,114 | | 18,983

| | | |

Camwood, tons | 550 | 303 | Not | 592

| | | enumerated |

Palm oil, gallons | 27,011 | 75,676 | |364 tons

| | | |

Gum copal, casks | 81 | — | | 18

------------------+----------+---------+----------+-------+---------

[Continued]

------------------+----------+---------+----------+-------+---------

Articles. | 1832. | 1833. | 1834. | 1835. | Total.

------------------+----------+---------+----------+-------+---------

Timber, loads | 24,048 | 1,771 | 16,951 | 9,302 | 82,911

| | | | |

Camwood, tons | 644 | 975 | 911 | 802 | 4,837

| | | | |

Palm oil, gallons |397 casks |480 casks|592 casks | 928 | —

| | | | |

Gum copal, casks | 96 | 133 | 87 | 197 | 612

------------------+----------+---------+----------+-------+---------

APPENDIX III

COMPARATIVE STATEMENT OF TIMBER IMPORTS INTO SIERRA LEONE, 1902-7 AND

1910-15

-----+-----------+------++-----+-----------+-------

Year.|Superficial|Value.||Year.|Superficial| Value.

| feet. | || | feet. |

-----+-----------+------++-----+-----------+-------

| | £ || | | £

| | || | |

1902 | 765,501| 4,765||1910 | 1,273,631| 9,935

| | || | |

1903 | 1,705,805|11,066||1911 | 965,410| 8,842

| | || | |

1904 | 1,642,738|10,097||1912 | 2,337,851| 21,403

| | || | |

1905 | 1,768,611| 8,886||1913 | 2,507,327| 22,425

| | || | |

1906 | 1,188,702| 9,827||1914 | 2,883,564| 26,893

| | || | |

1907 | 2,351,559|18,856||1915 | 2,503,751| 26,279

-----+-----------+------++-----+-----------+-------

TOTAL| 9,422,916|63,497||TOTAL| 12,471,534|115,777

-----+-----------+------++-----+-----------+-------