52 COLONIAL REPORTS MISCELLANEOUS. 



of late the annual imports to Europe and America of African 

 woods have already exceeded the total output of that from Central 

 America and Cuba. The forests of Ashauti are so valuable that 

 a special effort should be made to protect the richest of them and 

 bring them under organised control ; they are well worth any 

 expenditure likely to be incurred for this purpose. 



In some respects it is unfortimate that the only available line 

 of export for these forests is the Sekondi-Kurnasi Railway. 

 Though several large streams, capable of floating logs, drain the 

 area in question, yet, owing to the presence of rapids and other 

 obstructions, they cannot at present be utilised for that purpose, 

 and for some time to come, at all events, exploitation will have 

 to be confined to the vicinity of the railway. 



This, however, is not an unmixed evil ; their very inaccessi- 

 bility will indirectly aft'ord a certain amount of protection to 

 the forests till such a time as the country is in a position, by 

 opening up new lines of communications, &c., to tap these new 

 sources of wealth. 



As far as I can find out, there appear to be only two really 

 serious obstructions on the Tano River. This stream drains a 

 very 'extensive and rich tract of forest country, and the removal 

 of the two obstructions at an early date is urgently called for. 

 Mr. G. H. Dawe, Agent at Sekondi for Messrs. Swanzy & Co., 

 who has had a long and unrivalled experience of timber exploita- 

 tion both in Central America and the West Coast of Africa, 

 informs me that the lower obstruction on the Tano River, just 

 above Tanoso, can be removed at no great expense by the 

 judicious blasting and removal of certain rocks, and by the con- 

 struction of a boom to direct the timber into the proper channel. 



That gentleman has studied the question on the spot for some 

 years, and it would be advisable to consult him on the points 

 involved before active measures are taken to clear the channel. 

 As a rule, such operations can only be successfully undertaken 

 after personal knowledge of the behaviour of the river at all 

 seasons of the year has been acquired by the operator. As 

 regards the second obstruction, which is situated at a point 

 much higher up the river, somewhere below Tomento, very 

 little is known, but it is supposed to be less formidable than the 

 lower one. 



In any case, the attempt to clear the channel at both these 

 places should be made, because, if successful, it will mean the 

 opening up of several thousand square miles of some of the richest 

 forests in Africa. 



The other rivers draining this extensive tract of mixed 

 deciduous forest are the Ankobra and the Offin, with its feeder 

 the Adra. The former is said to be free of all serious obstruc- 

 tions, and the latter are also reported to be clear. Unfortunately, 

 the OflBn is a feeder of the Pra River, and the latter has several 

 obstructions (rapids) along its course. These should be examined 

 and studied by an expert with a view to clearing a channel 

 suitable for the conveyance of timber. In this connection I may 

 add that the expenses connected with such operations are, as a 



