9 
[This reference would seem to apply to various trees known generally 
as West African Mahogany, and not to any one particular species. 
There are said to be six kinds of mahogany trees known to the natives 
by the following names :— 
Papá 
Bako, 
Dubin, 
Kwabaha, 
Chire-ankama, 
Odum. 
[ Neither of these names, excepting Odum, which is referred to above, 
are contained in our lists of African plant names. ] 
ut the consumers in England do not appear to know any distinction. 
The last mentioned is the wood which Burton calls O/dfieldia africana, 
but E speaks of it [ Oldfteldia] as the African Oak of Sierra 
Leo 
Mr. “Austin Freeman, in an article read before the Royal Geographical 
Society, and published in the Supplemental Papers, Part IL, 1892, says : 
* The peculiar shape of the forest trees renders them especially easy to 
€ mice for if a large tree such as Odum is felled, and its trunk 
* dise d from the mass of branches at its summit, there remains a 
E straight cylindrical log from 90 to 120 feet in length.” 
Odum is a tree which reaches a height of fully 200 feet, 
with a a diameter of 5 to 10 feet. It yields a wood similar to oak in 
texture and hardness, and varying in colour from a golden yellow to à 
deep brown 
[From a comparison of the woods of African Oak (Oid/ieldia africana), 
English Oak (Quercus Robur), = Odum (Chlorophora excelsa), con- 
tained in the Kew Museum, they seem to be of different densities and 
€— of hardness, and sitet be classified as enumerated above. | 
e Papáo isa somewhat goskor tree, giving a wood almost indis- 
"inguine vs ee 
a tree ar. in size to Papáo, and its wood is of the 
same no character, int has the reputation of heing more even in texture and 
more easy to w 
Freeman adde that a careful examination of the forest would, no 
doubt, reveal the presence of many other trees vielding valuable : 
and it may be confidently stated that before long a very remu Been 
timber trade will be established in West Afi rica, and eóteludes as 
follows : —“ pieren a review of the above-stated etiem rom xe con- 
, cocoa, CO and man l 
4 I think, be andien that the Gold Coast and its adjacent territories 
" in the near future, assume a commercial importanee in striking 
contrast to their omms quum nce." 
[an article appeared in the August number of the Kew. Bulletin 
for 1890, p. 168, T ‘Gambia Mahogany (Khaya poco ake A. Juss). ] 
September 27, 1 
