346 OILS AND FATS, ETC. 



dark, and the taste unsavoury. Palm oil is also used for food, and the 

 mode of making it is very superior to that of making the trader's oil. 



The fruit is pounded in a mortar, and when sufficiently bruised, is 

 thrown into a pot containing water ; this is then allowed to boil, 

 and the oil, rising to the surface, is skimmed off gently and suffered to 

 cool, and I must say a nicer relish is seldom required to render the yam 

 palatable. 



The principal ports in the Bight of Benin, from which palm oil is 

 exported, are Badagry, Porto Novo, Whydah, Aliquah, Lagos, and 

 Palnias. The progress of the export trade from Lagos in palm oil has 

 been as follows : — 



Tons. 



1856 . . . 3,884 



1857 . . . 4,942 



1858 . . . 4,612 



There is still a formidable opposition to the palm oil trade exercised by 

 native chiefs, who desire a return to the slave trade. 

 From Liberia there was exported to the United States in — 



Gallons. Value $ 



1854 538,902 179,634 



1856 1,149,547 416,317 



To Great Britain — 



1856 113,193 



To Hamburg — 



1856 30,456 



In 1856 the exports of palm oil from various localities were as follows: 



Tons £ 



Benin River 2,500 102,500 



Palmas, and vicinity .... 2,250 101,250 



Badagry 1,250 96,250 



Lagos 3,864 174,784 



Porto Novo, and vicinity . . . 4,400 180,000 



Whydah 2,580 112,000 



Aliquah 1,500 67,000 



To the United States .... 300 13,500 



18,644 847,284 



The Cincinnatti candle manufacturers have recently been purchasing 

 palm oil to make their " star" candles. The cost being about 11 cents, per 

 pound was far cheaper than lard, and hence the production of the forests 

 of Africa has come into successful competition with the product of the 

 hog. 



Palm oil is exported from the following rivers : — 



Brass, New Kalabar, and Bonny, Old Kalabar, Bimbia, Kameroons, 

 and Fernando Po. 



