FORESTRY OF WEST AFRICA. 171 



Java (outcome of Negro work again), Turkey, China 

 and Germany. 



In most of our Possessions tobacco will thrive, 

 develop and refine in course of culture. India and 

 the West Indies have put forth endeavours of rich 

 promise : West Africa is ready to do likewise : why 

 should we not further extend the development of 

 this industry, and reduce thus our dependence on 

 foreign countries ? 



Since 1878 there has been in the United Kingdom 

 an import duty of 3^. 6d. per lb. on every 100 lbs. of 

 manufactured tobacco containing 10 lbs. or more of 

 moisture: and on a like quantity, containing less 

 moisture, 3^. lod. per lb. 



There will be found at the end of this chapter (pp. 

 178, 179), the imports for four years of the above 

 article as regards each British Settlement on the West 

 Coast, and the main directions of supply. 



I have seen species of this plant in an uncultivated 

 and uncared-for state in the interior districts of the 

 Gold Coast, and Lagos Colonies, as also in the West 

 African Settlements, where the natives prefer for 

 smoking the imported cured tobacco. 



Mention of a like nature is made in an interesting 

 paper, ' On the District of Akem in West Africa,' 

 read in 1876 before the Royal Geographical Society 

 of England by Captain J. Shaw Hay, at present 

 Administrator of the Gambia, who says, "The 

 tobacco plant grows wild in rank luxuriance untended 



