FORESTRY OF WEST AFRICA. 39 



in a heap outside in the air, where they are allowed to 

 remain for a week or ten days, which causes the joints 

 of the nuts to be weakened by the process of decom- 

 position, and allows them to be detached by simply 

 beating them against any substance ; the nuts are 

 gathered and the husks (decayed sepals) that adhere 

 to their base removed, either by the hand or by 

 rubbing them together, and separated by throwing 

 them in the air, and allowing a strong breeze to blow 

 them away. A hole about four feet is dug in the 

 earth, which is lined with plantain leaves, into which 

 the nuts with the hard unyielding pulp are put, and 

 covered over first with plaintain leaves and then with 

 palm leaves and earth. 



"The nuts are allowed to remain here for various 

 periods from three weeks to three months, until de- 

 composition of a more or less extent has taken place, 

 so that when removed the pulp is soft, and appears as 

 if it had been thoroughly boiled. They are now put 

 into a trough made by digging a hole four feet in 

 depth into the earth, and paving it below and around 

 with rough stones. In some cases a portion of the 

 nuts is boiled in iron or earthenware pots and then 

 mixed with the unboiled portion, before putting into 

 the trough. 



" They are now pounded with wooden pestles by 

 several persons standing round the trough until the 

 pulp is quite removed from the surface of the hard 

 nut, the whole is removed from the trough, put into 



