THE OWALA SEED AND OIL. 303 
I succeeded in seeing there the entire fruit, a pod of about 1 foot in 
length by 12 to 3 inches wide. Its general shape resembles that of a 
large haricot, its surface is brown and wrinkled. The two valves open 
easily, and display four or five seeds, separated from each other by the 
same number of compartments, Of these seeds those near the ends of 
the pod are smaller and more angular in shape than those in the centre, 
which are oval. The length of this seed is nearly double its breadth, 
its weight varies from $ of an ounce to $ of an ounce, and its density 
is greater than that of water. It consists of two principal parts, a husk 
andakernel. The husk very much resembles that of the large chest- 
nut in colour and brilliancy, but it is thicker and its structure more 
where it is attached to the pod, reunite themselves towards the opposite 
extremity. The husk is strongly attached to the kernel, though it can 
be peeled clean off without fracture, and the imprint of the fibres can 
then be seen on the perisperma or exterior husk. The kernel is of a 
greenish-white colour, which becomes darker by exposure to the air; it 
consists of two cotyledons closely united to each other. 
Many experiments have shown me that the mean between the weight 
of the husk and the total weight of the seed, is from 1 to 6 ; for instance, 
Husk -s co ES 16°66 
Komel . 59 = 83:34 
The quantity of water in the whole seed is 53 per cent., and of ash 
255 per cent, The husk contains 54, and the kernel 22 per cent. of 
ashes; but the ash of the former contains more silica than that of the 
latter. The oil of the kernel, although considerable in quantity, is ob- 
tained with difficulty by pressure. In an experiment with ether, I 
obtained from the kernels alone 62 per cent. of oil, and 51:47 per cent. 
from the seed and husks. When the oil had undergone repeated wash- 
ings in distilled water, and the superfluous moisture been drained off, 
its proportion was reduced to 56 per cent. in the case of the almonds, 
and 50:11 per cent. in that of the whole seed, 
This oil, known as Owala in the Gaboon, and Opochala in Fernando 
Po, is of a clear yellow colour, but becomes brown when it has been 
purified, Ata temperature of 11 degrees it gradually becomes less 
limpid, at some degrees lower turbid, and at zero changes into à viscous 
mass. Its density is very nearly the same as that of olive oil. If this 
