158 WEST AFRICAN FORESTS AND FORESTRY 
in the same way, as all planting is in the hands of the Department. 
On the whole, stricter supervision may be exercised in the Reserves 
than on leased areas. Although a firm has no lease, the security of 
tenure for cutting the trees would be at least as good as under a lease. 
No other firm would be in the same position to fell and extract timber 
as the first one to whom permission was granted. The Government 
would not allow any other amounts of trees to be felled that would 
injure the working of the forest by the first applicant. 
Local felling is conducted by one or two firms in their areas, which 
were in the first instance obtained for export timber. For the most 
part, however, the natives or native foreigners fell various kinds of trees 
such as Iroko, Chlorophora excelsa, Owussu, Sarcocephalus esculentus, 
Ume, Pterocarpus soyauxit and Pterocarpus Osun, Edat, Saccoglottis 
Gabunensis. Nearly half the permits issued are for Iroko, the main 
building timber of the Yoruba and Benin and Ibo countries. The 
Camwoods or Barwoods are felled next to obtain the brilliant red heart- 
wood, chiefly from the roots, but also from the stem. A dyewood 
which produces a fast colour is obtained by rubbing a small pointed 
section on a flattish piece of the same wood. A yellow dyewood is ob- 
tained from Anyeran Afrormosia laxiflora. 
The canoe-making industry absorbs a large number of trees. 
The native, chiefly Ijor, chooses the tree with great care as to 
straightness of stem and length of bole. It is felled near a river 
bank or otherwise reasonably accessible place. First of all two sides 
are flattened parallel to each other; at the same time the length of 
the canoe is chosen and the tree bole cut off at the required length. 
A narrow groove about half the depth of the diameter of the log 
is now made with small axes and an adzelike instrument. The log is 
then shaped externally like a canoe, especially both bow and stern. 
Next, more wood is cut away on the inside and some pieces of wood 
stuck across to keep the canoe open. A shelter is put over it during a 
hot day. As soon as the requisite amount has been cut out, dry palm 
branches are placed all round the canoe outside on the ground; longer 
cross pieces are fixed over the canoe of the required length for thwarts 
when the canoe is finished. Long stakes are driven into the ground 
opposite each of these on each side of the canoe, so that the natives 
can obtain a strong leverage over the canoe. Fire is now put to the 
palms, beginning with the bow of the canoe. The heat makes the wood 
expand and thus opens the canoe; at the same time the natives pull 
down the stakes at the side of the canoe and press the cross pieces into 
their places. This extends gradually the whole length of the canoe in 
the course of the day, which is the most strenuous of all, as upon the 
energy and care exercised on this day in making the canoe open out 
evenly in its entire length and the same amount each side depends its 
future success in the water. It may turn out lopsided. or, as is often 
