94 FORESTRY OF WEST AFRICA. 



second region, about sixty miles inland from Ambriz. 

 I distributed a number of pieces of the india-rubber 

 to natives of the Interior, and offered a high price for 

 any that might be brought for sale. In a very short 

 time it began to come in, and the quantity has steadily 

 increased to the present day. 



" The plant that produces it is the giant tree-creeper 

 {Landolphia florida .?), covering the highest trees and 

 growing principally on those near rivers or streams. 

 Its stem is sometimes as thick as a man's thigh, and 

 in the dense woods at Quiballa I have seen a consi- 

 derable extent of forest festooned down to the ground 

 from tree to tree in all directions, with its thick stems 

 like great hawsers ; above, the trees were nearly 

 hidden by its large bright dark-green leaves, and 

 studded with beautiful bunches of pure white star-like 

 flowers most sweetly scented. 



" Its fruit is the size of a large orange, of a yellow 

 colour when ripe, and perfectly round, with a hard 

 brittle shell. Inside it is full of a soft reddish pulp, in 

 which the seeds are contained. This pulp is of very 

 agreeable acid flavour, and is much liked by the 

 Natives. The ripe fruit when cleaned out is employed 

 by them to contain small quantities of oil, etc. 



" Every part of this creeper exudes a milky juice 

 when cut or wounded, but, unlike the india-rubber 

 tree of America, this milky sap will not run into a 

 vessel placed to receive it, as it dries so quickly as to 

 form a ridge on the wound or cut, which stops its 



