CHAPTER V 

 THE IVORY COAST 



Thanks to Monsieur Auguste Chevalier's very varied and extensive 

 travels on the Ivory Coast, we have obtained very graphic descriptions 

 of the belt of forest extending nearly 150 miles inland and parallel 

 to the coast. 



In his books Les Vegetaux Utiles de VAfrique Tropicale FranQaise, 

 Fasc. v., Premiere Etude sur les Bois de la Cote d'lvoire, and Les Vegetaux 

 utiles de VAfrique tropicale frangaise, Fasc. VII (Premiere Partie), 

 Documents sur le Palmier a Huile, on the vegetation of this French 

 Colony, not only are there general descriptions of some of the best 

 and most accessible forests, but also there are full descriptions of 

 the individual trees, together with most of their botanical and most 

 valuable vernacular names. 



Considering that the area of the Ivory Coast is 130,000 square 

 miles, and the forest belt about 150 miles wide, the mahogany industry 

 should be still further developed than it is at the present time. 



So far, on the average, the Ivory Coast has been noted for its 

 figured mahogany, the Ports of Grand Bassam, Assinie (a town and 

 river of Upper Guinea), and La Hou being the most noted, and having 

 given almost their name to different classes of Ivory Coast mahogany. 

 For several reasons this type of mahogany has fetched higher prices 

 than that of the average from elsewhere. Sassandra, at the mouth 

 of a similar named river, and also Cavally, on the Cavally, are minor 

 ports for the shipment of mahogany. 



First and foremost the wood obtained from what Monsieur 

 Chevalier terms Khaya Ivoriensis is of a much more sheeny nature 

 than that of either Khaya Senegalensis, Khaya grandis or Khaya Punchii. 



In the next place, the method of working is most peculiar. Usually, 

 individual natives cut a: ew trees at a time, standing nearest a water- 

 way or lagoon ; in fact, these were picked trees which the natives thought 

 contained figured wood, and this had the effect of only a one-sided 

 working of the forest, thus leaving many other valuable trees. On 

 the average, the distribution of the numbers and of the various species 

 is about the same as in other parts of West Africa. Apparently many 

 of the ordinary trees have often been left standing, or at any rate most 

 of those which are too inaccessible. A tree standing more than about 



6 " 



