CHAPTER V 
THE IVORY COAST 
THanxs to Monsieur Auguste Chevalier’s very varied and extensive 
travels on the Ivory Coast, we have obtained very graphic descriptions 
of the belt of forest extending nearly 150 miles inland and parallel 
to the coast. 
In his books Les Végétaux Utiles de l’ Afrique Tropicale Francaise, 
Fasc. V., Premiére Etude sur les Bois de la Céte d’ Ivoire, and Les Végétaux 
utiles de V Afrique tropicale francaise, Fasc. VII (Premiére Partie), 
Documents sur le Palmier & Huile, on the vegetation of this French 
Colony, not only are there general descriptions of some of the best 
and most accessible forests, but also there are full descriptions of 
the individual trees, together with most of their botanical and most 
valuable vernacular names. 
Considering that the area of the Ivory Coast is 130,000 square 
miles, and the forest belt about 150 miles wide, the mahogany industry 
should be still further developed than it is at the present time. 
So far, on the average, the Ivory Coast has been noted for its 
figured mahogany, the Ports of Grand Bassam, Assinie (a town and 
river of Upper Guinea), and La Hou being the most noted, and having 
given almost their name to different classes of Ivory Coast mahogany. 
For several reasons this type of mahogany has fetched higher prices 
than that of the average from elsewhere. Sassandra, at the mouth 
of a similar named river, and also Cavally, on the Cavally, are minor 
ports for the shipment of mahogany. 
First and foremost the wood obtained from what Monsieur 
Chevalier terms Khaya Ivoriensis is of a much more sheeny nature 
than that of either Khaya Senegalensis, Khaya grandis or Khaya Punchii. 
In the next place, the method of working is most peculiar. Usually, 
individual natives cut a: ew trees at a time, standing nearest a water- 
way or lagoon ; in fact, these were picked trees which the natives thought 
contained figured wood, and this had the effect of only a one-sided 
working of the forest, thus leaving many other valuable trees. On 
the average, the distribution of the numbers and of the various species 
is about the same as in other parts of West Africa. Apparently many 
of the ordinary trees have often been left standing, or at any rate most 
of those which are too inaccessible. A tree standing more than about 
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