34 FORESTRY OF WEST AFRICA. 



taiiily in our own Colonies. I fancy the other 

 Possessions are no further advanced in this direction. 



Our next step, then, it would seem, is to turn to the 

 Exports from this comparative " terra incognita," and 

 thence glean facts that come within our knowledge to 

 illustrate their importance to the trade of the United 

 Kingdom. 



In the first place it is suggested what are the 

 present economic botanical productions. They, taking 

 them in the order of their value to the Mother 

 Country, are chiefly, so far as are known commer- 

 cially, palm oil, nuts, and kernels, caoutchouc, coffee, 

 gum, dye-wood, cocoa, cotton, fibres, and wood. Under 

 headings mentioned I have put together data-statistics 

 for so many years, and in a later part of this Work I 

 will hope to furnish the distribution of such Imports. 



Palm Oil. — On the 20th March, 1845, an Order 

 was issued from the House of Commons for a Return 

 of an Account of the quantity of palm oil annually 

 imported into the United Kingdom from the West 

 Coast of Africa since the year 1790, when the palm 

 oil industry may be said to have been in its infancy : 

 it has since become the chief staple of trade in the 

 Gold Coast, Lagos Colonies, and elsewhere. 



The Return which follows was then completed 

 to date, and has, with the additional information 

 since afforded, been placed at my disposal through 

 the courtesy of E. Banner, Esq., Wessex House, 



