43 
“ It is so plentiful at 6° S. lat. that our temporary huts were roofed 
“ with its bark, and my plants were protected by planks of its bark, 
* which answered admirably, being light and stiff.” 
During Livingstone’s Zambesi ee pE in 1860 Sir John Kirk 
collected specimens of Brachystegia appendiculata, Benth., a tree of 
20 to 40 feet high in the highlands of the Batoka country 
(0) ok: 
by the natives ; he also collected the same species near Muata Man 
14° 19’ S. lat., and states that the fibrous bark is made into cloth by being 
es out. According to Dr. Mellor this tree is known as “ Chenga ” 
Zomba. The herbarium contains a specimen of Brachystegia 
longifilis Benth., collected by Mr. J. Buchanan in the Shiré high- 
and bear yä following label—“ Njombo. Bark cloth tree, wood 
aig 50 A PRE herbarium specimen collected by Sir John Kirk 
near Kusuma, on the river Shire, is labelled Brachystegia, sp. nov.,and 
is described as being a E sized tree with a fibrous bark which is 
used for cloth. 
Since the above was written a report has been received through Sir 
John Kirk from Captain Lugard, the officer now commanding the 
Imperial British East Africa Company’ s troops in Uganda, in which the 
following reference is made to the bark cloth so ee in use there, 
of which the specimen now in the Kew Museum is an e 
Captain Lugard says, “ The fig class [Ficus] is 8 largely A in 
“ Uganda where they are cultivated for the sake of their bark from which 
“ the native cloth is made.” Thus, although there can be no doubt that 
the bark cloth used in n Nyassaland, and much of that used elsewhere, is 
derived from various species of Brachystegia, the subject requires 
further investigation, and it is most desirable that those in a position to 
investigate the question on the spot should send the leaf at least of the 
tree whic they have seen used to yield the bark cloth, with specimens 
of the cloth itself. 
The seeds of what has been determined ag z species of Brachystegia 
from Mashonaland and Manica have recen o been received at Kew 
from the Agricultural Department of Cape Colo 
SECRETARY FOR AGRICULTURE, CAPE TOWN, to ere GARDENS, 
KEW. 
Cape Town, January 15, 1892. 
I BEG to send you herewith some seed of a tree which is found 
over a large tract of country in Mashonaland and Manica. The person 
who brought the seed from there calls the tree by the name of “ Ma- 
hogany,” and describes it as a very beautiful one, and one of the most 
useful trees for South naia instancing the employment ah the bark by 
the natives for making strong fe ag pap (fit for grain), ma eehiv 
&e. He states that the oo wt ccs every kind of soil ak arhe 
in lowlands and on mountain 
Í append a Memorandum br. Professor MacOwan, until lately Director 
the Botanic Gardens here, and should be glad t siti rn from you, 
nw "dentification of the seed, its precise classificatio 
i 
The Directo (Signed) W. J. J. WARNEFORD, 
Royal Gard ens, Kew. For Secretary for Agriculture, 
