MISCELLANEOUS SUBJECTS 493 



but whether this difference is due to the superior con- 

 ditions under which it thrives in the interior has yet to 

 be determined. 



Large quantities of myrrh have been exported from 

 the Somali country from the earliest times. The myrrh 

 is collected in the same crude fashion and brought to the 

 coast in the same way as it was in the days of King 

 Solomon. No attempt whatsoever is made either to 

 protect the trees from damage or to judiciously incise 

 them and thus increase the supply. 



Frankincense. Two varieties of frankincense are 

 known commercially by their Arab names, " Loban 

 Dakar" and "Loban Maidi." 



The former, " Loban Dakar," is the less valuable of 

 the two and is the product of the " Mohor " tree 

 (Boswellia Carter!, Birdw.). This tree only grows in the 

 eastern parts of the British Protectorate in the Habr 

 Toljaala, Warsangeli and Mijertain countries. 



" Loban Maidi," the more valuable of the two, is 

 obtained from the " Yehar " tree (Boswellia Frercana, 

 Birdw.), and is also found in the eastern parts of British 

 Somaliland. 



Bdellium. Of the Somali bdelliums, " Habbak Haddi " 

 or " perfumed bdellium " is the most valuable. It is 

 brought to the coast from the far interior packed in 

 separate skin-bags, and is easily recognized by its pleasant 

 aromatic scent. 



The tree producing it, which is known to the Somalis 

 as " Haddi," is said by Mr. E. M. Holmes to be Com- 

 miphora erythraea var. glabrescens, Engler. The present 

 writer has never seen the tree growing nor been able 

 to get botanical specimens for identification. 



There are numerous other bdelliums used locally in 

 a small way by the Somalis, but these appear to have 

 little or no commercial value. As some of these are at 

 present being investigated, it would not be advisable 

 to say anything about them until a future date. 1 



1 The results of examination of these bdelliums at the Imperial 

 Institute, as well as those of samples of myrrh, frankincense, 

 and gum from Somaliland, have now been published in the 

 Bulletin of the Imperial Institute _, vol. xii (1914), pp. 11-27. 



