xvi FORESTS 159 



The Kenia forest is, without doubt, the most valuable 

 forest in the Protectorate. This is so, not only on 

 account of the average density and excellence of the 

 trees, but also on account of the peculiar conditions 

 which will render the export of the timber both easy 

 and profitable. The bulk of the trees are of the usual 

 four varieties, the two yellow-woods, cedar and 

 camphor, but the hard woods are here present in a 

 greater proportion to the soft. A general average of 

 areas measured showed 3,625 cubic feet to the acre, 

 though of course this is in many parts far exceeded. 

 The finest timbered parts of the forest are the south- 

 east portion of the crescent, where there is a belt of 

 huge camphor trees growing at a height of between 

 6,000 and 7,500 feet. The average cubic contents 

 per acre of this area are certainly in excess of 7,000, 

 while in some patches they probably reach 9,000 — and 

 also the almost pure cedar portion to the north-west 

 corner. 



It is not, however, only the amount and value of 

 the timber which must be considered in appreciating 

 this forest, but also the comparative ease with which 

 this timber can be removed. In the first place, unlike 

 the forests on the Mau, and indeed in most other parts 

 of the continent, this forest is not to any great extent 

 intersected by ravines or gullies. Mr. Hutchins, by 

 far the first authority on African timbers, though hold- 

 ing opinions possibly open to criticism on the adminis- 

 trative and economic side, points out that the general 

 shape of Kenia is like an inverted saucer, with a 

 snowy, tooth-like ridge in the middle. The ground rises 

 slowly and imperceptibly up to the forest, and for 

 the most part slowly and gradually through the timber 

 belt. This easy gradient is of the utmost value 



