247 



putting a " bottom " on wool or wollen fabrics to give a special 

 " bloom " when they are dyed with indigo. The goods are boiled 

 with the dye for an hour or an hour and a half, no mordant being 

 used — 16 lbs. of Camwood for 100 lbs. of wool is a good proportion 

 for a full bottom (Jarmain, in Journ. Soc. Arts. xxiv. 1876, p. 968). 

 It was formerly imported in short logs, 15 to 20 in. long, 5 to 12 in. in 

 diameter, and wood of this class was in request for high-class fancy 

 turnery ; latterly it has been sent in irregularly shaped pieces of no 

 value except for dyeing purposes. It usually fetches a good price 

 (Director, Kew, to Colonial Office, 2nd Oct. 1891). Best Camwood 

 (about 1859) from near Sierra Leone was valued at £25 per ton (Barter, 

 Mus. Kew) ; in 1876 between £20 and £33 per ton (Walker, Journ. Soc. 

 Arts. I.e. p. 591), in 1885-1886 some sold at £29 per ton (Director, 

 Kew, I.e.), in 1907 it was valued at £10 to £15 per ton, from Liberia 

 (Cons. Rep. Ann. No. 3750, 1907, p. L0). The value now fluctuates 

 between £5 and £12 per ton, and the industry appears to be almost 

 if not quite neglected (1909). 



Camwood appears to be used by the natives in the same way as 

 Barwood {Pterocarpus Soyauxii), and the dye woods of other species 

 of Pterocarpus (q.v.). It is sold as Barwood in Lagos (Punch, Herb. 

 Kew). 



It ha3 been suggested that the colouring matter of the wood is due 

 to some destructive organism, but examination of the wood shows 

 nothing abnormal (Col. Rep. Ann. No. 630, 1909, p. 40). 



Used in Sierra Leone for parasitic skin diseases (Johnston, Mus. 

 Kew). 



The specific gravity varied in different samples examined from 

 0*9065 (bark, sapwood and heartwood) to 1*105 (heartwood only) equal 

 to 56*65 and 69 lbs. per cubic foot respectively. 



It is very durable, and is used in Liberia by the natives for making 

 beams and pillars (Cons. Rep. Ann. No. 3750, 1907, p. 10) ; for 

 walking-sticks in Sierra Leone (Scott Elliot, Col. Rep. Misc. No. 3, 

 1893, p. 36) ; and (wood of u Irosun ") in Lagos for making pestles 

 (Colonial Office to Kew, Aug. 6th, 1898, Enc. No. 66 y in Despatch, 

 Acting Governor, Lagos, June 28th, 1898, to Sec. of State). 



May be propagated by seed, though as a garden plant in this 

 country, Loddiges (Bot. Cab. I.e.) nearly a century since, says, " It 

 may be increased by layers or cuttings, thriving in a rich loamy 

 soil." The tree appears to be extensively cultivated around villages 

 in S. Nigeria ; and is also found fairly commonly in West Africa in 

 the evergreen forests, between the coast forests of the swamps and 

 the dry forests of the interior, varjing from a shrub 6-10 ft. high to 

 a small spreading tree 20 ft. high. 



Baphia pubescens, Hookf. ; Fi. Trop. Afr. II. p. 250. 



Vernac. names. — Awewi (Lagos, Milleri) ; Ositwa (Benin, Foster) ; 

 M'Pano (W. Africa, M oloney).— Camwood (De Wildeman, PI. Util. 

 Congo, Art. xxvi. 1904, p. 378). 



Onitsha ; Lagos ; Agege (W. Prov. S. Nigeria) ; Benin ; Idio 

 River (S. Nigeria) ; Dekina (N. Nigeria) ; Banks of Gurara River 

 (N. Nigeria). 



Wood valuable, chiefly used in dyeing (Moloney, For. W. Afr. 

 p. 327) ; heavier than water, fine grain, white, turning red on 

 exposure to the air with odour of violets (De Wildeman, PI. Util. 

 Congo, Art. xxvi. 1904, p. 378). 



