MEN OF THE TREES 



benefited from his instruction. Now the white man 

 wants you also to help yourselves. He wants you to learn 

 to protect the trees. In the past you have been forest de- 

 stroyers, in the future you must become forest planters. 



"Why is it that whenever you want a good farm you 

 go into the forest to find it? Listen well to my words, and 

 I will tell you. It is because trees improve the soil; the 

 leaves of the trees fall on the land and make it good. If 

 you wish to find good soil you must plant trees on your 

 old farms before you forsake them altogether, so that 

 when all the virgin forest is finished, you and your sons 

 will be able to return and find new forests which you 

 have planted and fresh soil in which to grow your crops. 



"Listen well to my words, I am going to help you to 

 remove the reproach that hangs over you, for today I 

 am going to call for volunteers from amongst you, for 

 men who will promise before N'gai, the High God, to 

 plant trees each year and take care of trees everywhere. 

 Thus the reproach against your tribe will be removed. 

 No longer will men call you 'Forest Destroyers,' but 

 rather they will look to you to lead the way and show 

 other tribes how to plant trees and so perpetuate those 

 great forests whose well-being is bound up with your 

 own." 



Up to this moment the tension had been great and all 

 listened in breathless silence to Chief Josiah's brilliantly 

 eloquent interpretation. I had been talking quite quietly 

 while he had hurled out a marvellous flow of language, 

 containing all the little idioms used in their native 



32 



