CHAPTER III. Sierra Leone

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.

To face p. 40.

VI.—INDIGENOUS FOREST TREES

Species marked with an asterisk (*) are Lane Poole’s; 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.