of Blantyrc and Zomha Districts of Africa. 239 



scnegctlcnsis, n.n. 3Iahaiva, supplies nearly all the wood for 

 tlie canoes of the upper river. It has a straight bole, often 

 30 or 40 feet long ; and the diameter is sometimes 4 feet 

 at the base. Its com])anion Erf/thropJikaum guineense, n.n. 

 dltvayi, reminds one of a gigantic British oak. Sparingly 

 dispersed round water courses are PttrJcia filicoidea, Eugenia 

 cordata, and other trees. Three species of Bracliystegia, 

 the native names of which are NJomho, Ifsimbreti, and 

 Nepaka, are amongst the most common soft-wooded trees. 

 From the first of these, Bracliystegia longifolia, the bark- 

 cloth is chiefly taken. The second can be recognised by 

 the bluish tint of its young leaves miles away from the 

 tree. When cut down these species seem to escape insect 

 destruction for two months at least. On deep black soil 

 Acacias flourish on the highlands ; one species in parti- 

 cular, with its top cut level, as with shears, attracts the 

 notice of every stranger. Alhizzia angolensis is abundant, 

 and yields the hardest wood of the district, which is dull 

 black. As it is usually accompanied by a creeping species 

 of Loranthus, its ripe legumes intertwined with the flowers 

 of this parasite give it a beautiful appearance. Several 

 species oi Pterocarpus afford useful timber. From Napini, 

 a species of Ternmicdia, a hard yellow wood is obtained, 

 which is difficult to work. The natives manufacture their 

 drums from Erythrina tomentosa, a soft-wooded tree. A 

 3-foot length from the trunk is hollowed out into a cylinder, 

 the ends of which are covered with snake-skin, when the 

 instrument is complete. 



Trees producing Fruit. — The Napcca Kirldi yields 

 msuku, a fruit much esteemed by the natives, who live for 

 months often on little else. It has an astringent taste when 

 kept in the mouth more than a few seconds. 3Itundua, a 

 species of 6^a?-cmt«, yields afairsubstitute forthe mangosteen. 

 The natives throughout the Shire highlands esteem much 

 a fruit of a slightly acid taste, like a well-grown damson, 

 of a beautiful light red colour, called by them Mpingi 

 pingi, and is obtained from Ximenia americana. A species 

 of Anona produces an abundance of custard apples, though 

 the fruit is often infested by ants and w^orms. Edible fruits 

 are also got from EugcMia cordata and Parinarium mohola. 

 An edible fruit with a pleasant acid taste, called Ndana, is 



