292 COMMERCIAL PROSPECTS 



conifers — ^juniper and yew. The timber of the juniper is to all intents 

 and purposes like cedar-wood. The mere thinning of these woods which 

 is necessary for their improvement, and which might be carried on 

 concurrently with the establishment of European settlements, would 

 provide millions of cubic feet of timber, which would iind a ready market 

 on the east coast of Africa. In the tropical forests along the shores and 

 on the islands of the Victoria Nyanza all the best African trees exist — 

 ebony, African teak, African mahagony, iron-wood, and acacia. It has 

 been considered that without detriment to the forests along the Uganda 

 Railway or in these lacustrine districts wood fuel could be used instead of 

 coal, resulting thereby in an enormous i-aving in the working expenses of 

 steamers and locomotives. 



We come now to what I believe to be the production of the surest 

 value in the Uganda Protectorate : indiarubber. Mr. Whyte is of opinion 

 that a tree of an allied species to the gutta-percha of Eastern Asia grows 

 in Buddu, and perhaps elsewhere in the forest -covered regions of the 

 Protectorate. Unfortunately, the specimens collected to prove this 

 statement have never reached their destination at Kew. But rubber of a 

 very saleable quality is produced by two or more trees of the genus Tabernci'- 

 TTiontana, by perhaps three species of Landolphla, and by a Fantumia. 

 The rubber produced from these sources varies in value according to the 

 care with which it has been collected. The samples which I have had sold 

 experimentally of Uganda rubbers have ranged in price from Is. Id. to 

 2s. 6d. a pound. Tiie bulk of Uganda rubbers as at present turned out 

 by the natives seems to realise about 2s. a pound when sold at jNIomliasa. 

 Steps are being taken to properly instruct the natives in the best methods 

 of procuring and yn'eparing rubber for the market, and it is to be hoped 

 that as a result not only no permanent harm will be done to the sources 

 of rubber supply, but tlie purity of the Uganda rubbers may be well 

 maintained, and secure for this article an average price of at least 2s. 

 a pound. 



The following summary of the animal, vegetable, and mineral products 

 known to exist in the Uganda Protectorate, and likely to be of value in 

 its commercial development, is appended. It should be ])ointed out that 

 although in some instances the product may not be worth the cost of 

 exportation to com})ete with the products of other countries in the 

 European markets, it is of considerable local value. For instance, it 

 might not pay to export Uganda sugar, but it will certainly pay — is 

 paying — those people who have sufficient enterprise to turn the sugar- 

 cane of Uganda into a crystallised sugar which is eagerly bougiit by 

 Europeans, Indians, and natives, inasmuch as it can be sold to them at 

 cheaper rates than sugar imported from abroad. The same tiling would 



