SIERRA LEONE 31 



the savannah forest, which is found in the Karina district and other 

 parts of the country. It is one of the commonest trees, and occurs 

 in small groups scattered throughout these forests. The timber is 

 a reddish-brown colour and of a similar texture to the ordinary Cam- 

 wood or Padauk, of which genus it is a member. The wood, however, 

 of this species is much harder than that of the others, and the colora- 

 tion is often partially streaked, both features being due probably to 

 the much slower growth owing to the annual grass fires. From the 

 neighbouring territory of Senegal the timber has been exported to 

 France as African Rosewood, where it finds a good market ; but it 

 is doubtful if it could compete with the Bahia Rosewood' in the 

 English market, owing to its less brilliant colour ; the timber is, however, 

 worth a trial. 



17. Bapliia nitida (Camwood) is a small-sized tree, which is com- 

 monly found at the edge of villages and in old farms. It is a somewhat 

 slow-growing tree, in which the heartwood forms none too early and 

 in a somewhat irregular manner, occasionally small patches forming 

 comparatively near the bark. The wood is hard, and the heartwood 

 of a deep claret-red colour. The timber is close grained and of fine 

 texture, which planes very smooth after being cut and dried. In 

 recent years much smaller quantities of Camwood have been sent 

 away (see Appendix I) than between the years 1827 and 1835 

 (see Appendix II), when between 5 and 802 tons were exported. 

 In this connection, too, there can be no doubt that Camwood is 

 obtained from the tree known botanically as Baphia nitida, because 

 this tree is found in Sierra Leone, whereas Bar wood, or the so-called 

 Camwood of Nigeria, the produce of Pterocarpus tinctorius or Osun, 

 which has not yet been reported from the neighbourhood of Sierra 

 Leone, could not have been absolutely killed out between the years 

 1835 and 1900. 



III. Trees Cut foe Local Use. 



I. Monnda citrifolia? (the Brimstone) is the most common tree, 

 from which the largest amount of timber which is used locally is 

 obtained. Growing, as it does, with a girth up to 20 feet and a bole 

 length of 50 feet, the local sawyers can usually make a very large 

 number of 12-feet planks 1 inch thick out of each tree. The chief 

 use of this timber is for weather-boards, which are sold at 10s. per 

 100 feet. All the native houses in Freetown are faced with weather- 

 boards of this kind of timber. After being cut down, shoots sprout 

 out from the stump, forming in a few years small trees of useful size, 

 especially in old farms. The name of this tree, Brimstone, denotes 

 the wonderful sulphur-like colour of the wood. The durability of 

 this timber for outside work and its termite-resisting qualities 

 have given it a premier position amongst local timbers. The 



