WOODLAND FEATURES. 789 



are thought of only as a neighboring sea, begemmed with beau- 

 tiful islands, while all about, the various developments of tropical 

 life are spread out in splendid contrast. The wonderful pasture- 

 lands and vast forests, where enormous trees are so thickly 

 planted and wound and interlaced by the huge creepers that not 

 a ray of sunlight can ever penetrate them — the mountain 

 ranges which traverse the scene, here and there rearing their 

 perpetual snow-crown defiantly, right in the eye of the sun, as he 

 rides the very ridge of his supremacy — a wonderful river sys- 

 tem and beautiful lakes — may not, indeed, promise a home which 

 should tempt Europeans or Americans away from their own 

 lands ; but they cannot fail to impress the observer with the 

 magnitude of those latent forces with which Africa stands ready 

 to contribute toward the accomplishment of human destiny. 



The woodland features of Africa are greatly diversified, and 

 in the sections traversed by Dr. Schweinfurth, and all along the 

 table-lands of the west, many striking analogies have been 

 remarked between the numerous trees of Africa and those which 

 adorn the hills and valleys of more familiar lands. " Some of 

 the trees at first sight have a considerable likeness to the common 

 oak. Amongst these may be named the Terminalia and the 

 butter tree. The fruit of the latter consists of a globular oily 

 kernel, which looks something like a horse-chestnut, is as large 

 as a good-sized apricot, and is enveloped in a green rind. From 

 the kernels of this widely known tree an oil is expressed, which, 

 under the name of ' butter of Gallam/ is a recognized article 

 of commerce in Gambia." 



Far-spread as are the trees which resemble the oak, those 

 which resemble the horse-chestnut are quite as common. The 

 plane tree may be also said to be represented equally with 

 respect to its bark, its foliage, and the pattern of its leaves, by 

 the Sterculia tomentosa, which has established itself pretty 

 generally throughout tropical Africa. In the place of willows 

 Africa offers the Anaphrenium ; and over and over again the 

 traveller may fancy that he sees the graceful locust tree. The 

 Parkia is another of those imposing trees which are met with ; 

 the leaves of this are not unlike the Poincillade or Flamboyer ; 

 its flowers are a fiery red and hang in a tuft, and when they die 

 off leave a bundle of pods a foot in length, in which seeds are 



