82 THE GOLD COAST 



" Accra copal," occurs throughout the forests of Ashanti 

 and Akim, and has not yet been specifically determined. 

 Investigations have shown that it is allied to Cyanothyrsus 

 oblongus, Oliver, which yields the " Ogea " resin of Lagos, 

 and which belongs to the Natural Order LEOUMINOS^. 

 The flowers obtained from the Ashanti trees are of a 

 similar construction to those of Cyanothyrsus. 



Locally the resin is commonly used for torches and 

 for the preparation of a scented pigment called " Krobo," 

 which is used for elaborating patterns upon the skin, 

 being commonly employed by the Akim people for this 

 purpose. For export the chief value is for the prepara- 

 tion of varnish. 



The quantity exported reached 178 tons in 1907, after 

 which it declined, and now no longer reaches a significant 

 figure. The overwhelming interest attracted by cocoa has 

 led to its disappearance. Cf . Selected Reports Imperial Insti- 

 tute, pt. ii., " Gums and Resins " (Col. Rep. Misc., Cd. 4971, 

 1909), pp. 172-5 ; Bull Imp. Inst., vol. xii. (1914), p. 220. 



The copal-yielding trees are generally of immense size, 

 and the resinous liquid may be observed exuding from 

 the main trunk as well as the branches, in such a way 

 as to form elongated " tears " or slabs, which harden 

 on exposure to the air. When these become brittle they 

 are broken off by wind and fall to the ground. Often 

 the flow of resinous liquid seems to be so profuse that 

 quantities reach the ground and form what is termed 

 "fossil copal, " owing to the fact that it is dug from the 

 ground beneath the trees. 



There is evidence to show that in some instances the 

 original flow of the resinous liquid is caused by deep 

 borings in the sap wood made by insect larvae (probably 

 Coleoptera beetles), signs of which are commonly apparent 

 on old trees, which yield the most copal. Specimens of 

 branches, which have been tunnelled by these larvae, 

 have been collected, exhibiting all the cavities filled with 

 hardened resin. 



Compared with the copal produced by Copaifera 

 Guibourtiana, a tree which is found in Sierra Leone, the 

 Ashanti product is much inferior, although the price paid 

 renders it sufficiently valuable for collection and export. 

 Several different types of the Accra copal are known, 

 some of which appear to be of less value than others, 



