MOTHER OF PEARL AND ITS USES. 219 



extracted, grow in great numbers, forming miles of forests. The value of 

 this tree and its product have been pointed out to the natives by the officers 

 attached to the Niger Expedition, some of whom have made frequent 

 journeys between Lagos and their encampment, near Eabba. Hitherto 

 only very small quantities of shea butter have been brought down to the 

 coast. 



MOTHER OF PEARL AND ITS USES. 



B5T THE EDITOR. 



Mother of pearl is that beautiful white enamel, or nacreous lining, which 

 forms the greater part of the substance of most oyster shells, but especially 

 the larger ones found in the seas of the Pacific and Indian Oceans. In 

 1845 it was admitted duty free, but it was only in 1853 that mother of pearl 

 shells were deemed of sufficient importance to appear in the Board of Trade 

 returns. The imports since then have been as follows : — 



Cwts. Value. 



1S53 15,480 — 



1854 36,644 £88,305 



1855 20,120 34,634 



1856 42,082 76,544 



1857 34,324 57,819 



1858 25,108 60,448 



1859 40,003 67,859 



The imports of 1859 were drawn from the following sources : — 



Quantity. Declared value. 



Cwts. £ 



Hamburg 956 1,500 



Holland 936 4,212 



France 633 1,510 



Egypt 311 1,570 



Philippine Isles 349 2,017 



South Sea Islands 3,424 9,000 



New Granada 19,150 15,658 



Chile 5,296 11,478 



East Indies 5,092 15,107 



Australia 1,102 3,065 



Other parts 2,754 2,742 



40,003 67,859 



