GOLD COAST REPORT ON FORESTS. 35 



hills situated between the village and the Mansi River, are dis- 

 tinctly good. Here some examples of a new species of Pipta- 

 denia (the Okan of the Benin people) that attains large dimen- 

 sions were seen. The country is much honeycombed with native 

 gold-diggings, and when moving about in the dense forest growth 

 one has to keep a sharp look-out to avoid falling into the pits. 



That portion of the Mansi River drainage which is situated 

 on the left bank is occupied by some very valuable forests 

 that are rich in all the species of timber trees usually exploited 

 for the European markets. The species represented are, of 

 course, only those that inhabit the moist tropical evergreen 

 forests of the country and do not include the fine timber trees, 

 species of Khaya (mahogany) and Pseiidocedrela (cedar), that 

 are limited in their distribution to the drier, mixed deciduous 

 forests found further north. The woods of the latter have, as far 

 as I am aware, never been shipped to the home markets, as the 

 species occupy tracts of country that have not yet been 

 exploited. 



Practically the whole of the forest belts about here that are 

 situated within a limit of two or three miles on either side of the 

 Ankobra River and its main feeders, such as the Maiisi, have 

 been leased to Europeans and native timber merchants by the 

 chiefs. The particularly fine patch of forest extending from 

 the village of Ahirisu, on the left bank of the Mansi, for 

 several miles up stream on that side, has been leased to an 

 Apollonian timber merchant, named Mensa, who resides in 

 Axim. His local representative, a native of the same place, 

 is a most intelligent person who possesses an extensive know- 

 ledge of the timber trees of the country. He took us about 

 various parts of the concession, showed us the areas where 

 most of the fellings have been made, gave us much informa- 

 tion regarding the different species that are being exploited, 

 and generally helped us in every way possible. 



In addition to the comparative richness of this tract of 

 country in species of economic importance, the most noticeable 

 feature about it is the excellent natural regeneration of those 

 trees and the satisfactory condition of their age gradations. 

 The latter, of course, is really not very good, but it is far better 

 than one usually comes across in West African forests. For 

 these reasons I strongly recommend the bulk of the forests 

 in the Mansi drainage being taken up as forest reserves after 

 the present leases expire, if it is not possible to do so before. 



The soil in this forest is rich, contains a fair amount of 

 moisture, and is capable of supporting trees of lofty growth. 

 The Parkias to be met with about here are quite the tallest 

 and largest I have ever seen. The same holds good with regard 

 to other species, such as the Biunwc (Dctarium species), the 

 Basse (Gmtrea species), and the Chen-Chen (Antiaris toxicaria 

 var. africana). The cedars and mahoganies also attain large 

 dimensions and, speaking generally, the forest is in an excel- 

 lent condition and of great age in tlie remoter portions of the 



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