283 Capt, J3. Alexander on the 



After the fourth day of our journey the forest became less 

 thick, and the Kola-nut tree {Cola acuminata) was plentiful. 

 The trade in Kola-nuts in the countries north of the Gold 

 Coast is most important. In the dry season, large caravans 

 of cattle, bred in Moshi, and in the districts about the River 

 Niger, pass through Gambaga and Salaga on their way to 

 Ashanti, where the cattle are exchanged for Kola-nuts, which 

 the merchant takes back with him into the Soudan, where 

 they are much prized and are in great demand. 



At Kintampo (1055 feet), eight days' march from Kumassi, 

 the forest gives way to stretches of undulating country, which 

 rise gradually to Gambaga. Kintampo marks the southern 

 boundary of the Northern Territories. The western frontier 

 is formed by the Black Volta River, the northern by the 11th 

 parallel of north latitude, and the eastern by the German 

 province of Togoland. 



The country here is covered with dwarf trees — chiefly 

 acacias and a species with long scanty leaves — interspersed 

 with scrub and coarse grass. The latter grows to a height of 

 nearly six feet during the rainy season, and causes, in many 

 places, impassable obstacles, until it has been burnt by the 

 natives after the rains. The country is watered by two 

 large rivers — the Black Volta and the White Volta, — 

 which separate at the village of Debre, and by other 

 smaller affluents and streams, which generally retain water 

 throughout most of the year and become much swollen 

 during the rains. Along the banks of these rivers and 

 streams there are belts of thick woodland, interspersed 

 with large well-proportioned trees and groves of small 

 bamboos ; and these belts, always green, mark the windings 

 of the watercourses through stretches made monotonous by 

 dry grass and the almost uniform expanse of stunted tree- 

 growth. Beyond Gambaga (1310 feet), to the northward, 

 the land-level falls 700 feet, and the country becomes less 

 undulating, while it is uplifted here and there into cone- 

 shaped hills of from 100 to 600 feet in height, the tree- 

 growth giving way in many localities to open stretches, 

 covered with guinea-corn and maize. 



