158 WEST AFRICAN FORESTS AND FORESTRY 



in the same way, as all planting is in the hands of the Department. 

 On the whole, stricter supervision may be exercised in the Reserves 

 than on leased areas. Although a firm has no lease, the security of 

 tenure for cutting the trees would be at least as good as under a lease. 

 No other firm woiild be in the same position to fell and extract timber 

 as the first one to whom permission was granted. The Government 

 would not allow any other amounts of trees to be felled that would 

 injure the working of the forest by the first applicant. 



Local felling is conducted by one or two firms in their areas, which 

 were in the first instance obtained for export timber. For the most 

 part, however, the natives or native foreigners fell various kinds of trees 

 such as Iroko, Chlorophora excelsa, Owussu, Sarcocephalus esculenkis, 

 Ume, Pterocarpus soyauxii and Pterocarpus Osun, Edat, Saccoglottis 

 Gabunensis. Nearly half the permits issued are for Iroko, the main 

 building timber of the Yoruba and Benin and Ibo countries. The 

 Camwoods or Barwoods are felled next to obtain the brilliant red heart- 

 wood, chiefly from the roots, but also from the stem. A dyewood 

 which produces a fast colour is obtained by rubbing a small pointed 

 section on a flattish piece of the same wood. A yellow dyewood is ob- 

 tained from Anyeran Afrormosia laxiflora. 



The canoe-making industry absorbs a large number of trees. 

 The native, chiefly Ijor, chooses the tree with great care as to 

 straightness of stem and length of bole. It is felled near a river 

 bank or otherwise reasonably accessible place. First of all two sides 

 are flattened parallel to each other ; at the same time the length of 

 the canoe is chosen and the tree bole cut off at the required length. 

 A narrow groove about half the depth of the diameter of the log 

 is now made with small axes and an adzelike instrument. The log is 

 then shaped externally like a canoe, especially both bow and stern. 

 Next, more wood is cut away on the inside and some pieces of wood 

 stuck across to keep the canoe open. A shelter is put over it during a 

 hot day. As soon as the requisite amount has been cut out, drj"^ palm 

 branches are placed all round the canoe outside on the ground ; longer 

 cross pieces are fixed over the canoe of the required length for thwarts 

 when the canoe is finished. Long stakes are driven into the ground 

 opposite each of these on each side of the canoe, so that the natives 

 can obtain a strong leverage over the canoe. Fire is now put to the 

 palms, beginning Avith the bow of the canoe. The heat makes the wood 

 expand and thus opens the canoe; at the same time the natives pull 

 down the stakes at the side of the canoe and press the cross pieces into 

 their places. This extends gradually the whole length of the canoe in 

 the course of the day, which is the most strenuous of all, as upon the 

 energy and care exercised on this day in making the canoe open out 

 evenly in its entire length and the same amount each side depends its 

 future success in the water. It may turn out lopsided, or, as is often 



