400 APPENDICES. 



The same, or a closely allied species of Euphorbia, 

 appears again in the Victoria region, and is particularly 

 common about the Albert Edward Nyanza. 



Fibres. — The markets for fibre are at present very fully 

 supplied, and it is of course not to be expected that business 

 men will take the trouble to reorganise their methods of 

 supply unless there is a very marked superiority shown by 

 a new product. Under these circumstances, I am afraid 

 that none of those which I brought back can be expected to 

 yield a large return. None appear to have a very marked 

 superiority over well-known kinds, and the cost of trans- 

 port would probably overbalance the greater cheapness of 

 collection and preparation. 



The banana fibres (Migombaof Suahili, Biei, Biamatoka 

 of Waganda) may be at once dismissed from all considera- 

 tion, as with the enormous supply available in the West 

 Indies and the Canary Islands, no export from East Africa 

 can possibly compete, even where the preparation, as it is 

 not, in a thoroughly satisfactory state. 



Dr. Cooke reports as follows : — 



" New Fibre from Niamkoria, Tanganyika. — This is 

 somewhat the same class as jute, and worth about £10 per 

 ton in London." 



The fibre is four to five feet long, and, according to my 

 information, is produced from the bark of a tree and is prob- 

 ably easily prepared. I understand that the tree is not 

 very common. There will scarcely be a sufficient margin 

 of profit at present to export this fibre, as the cost of trans- 

 port will not be far off: this figure. Still a substance like 

 this can be utilised to fill up trucks and steamers on the 

 return journey when, as at present, cargo is not available. 



Sanseviera cylindrical* — This fibre seems to be very 

 similar to that produced from the closely allied Sanseviera 

 guineensis. 



* 7 have not as yet heard whether this plant is Sanseviera cylindrica. 

 Mr. Rendle is working out the plants of this order in my collection. 



