26 



but it is very rarely that an accident happens to the people 

 engaged in it. The trunk of the tree^ from the dimensions 

 of the wood it furnishes^ is deemed the most valuable ; but 

 for purposes of an ornamental kind^ the limbs or branches are 

 generally preferred^the grain of them being much closer^ and 

 the veins more rich and variegated. 



A sufficient number of trees being now felled to occupy 

 the gang during the season^ they commence cutting the 

 roads, which may fairly be estimated as two-thirds of the 



H 



labour and expense. Each mahogany work forms in itself 

 a small village on the bank of a river ; the choice of situation 

 being always regulated by the proximity of such river to the 

 mahogany intended as the object of future research. 



In the arranging and appearance of the habitations much 

 rural taste is often displayed ; and it is highly gratifying to 

 the curious to remark the different modes peculiar to the 

 several nations or tribes of Africa^ as also the improvement 

 introduced by European experience in the construction of 

 the dwellings, — among which the proprietor s residence, with 



■t 



storehouses^ cattle-sheds, &c. Invariably form a conspicuous 

 figure ; those of the different labourers being usually of a 

 more humble appearance, but all built of the same material, 

 which the surrounding countries afford in abundance. We 

 have frequently seen houses of this kind completed in a 

 single day, and with no other implement than the axe, con- 

 sequently every workman Is capable of performing the labour 

 required to build his own dwelling. After completing this 

 establishment, a main road is opened for it, in as near a direc- 

 tion as possible to the centre of the body of trees so felled, 

 Into which branch or wing roads are often Introduced, the 

 ground through which the roads are to run being yet a 

 mass of dense forest, both of high trees and underwood. 

 They commence by clearing away those of the latter de- 

 scription with cutlasses, which, although In appearance a 



