208 WOODS OF COMMERCE 



at present reaches us from tlie British settlements on the Gold Coast 

 and in Southern Nigeria. Maya senegahnsis seems to be the chief 

 species north and west of the Gold Coast, being known to the French 

 as " Cailcedra," as '' Gambia Mahogany " in our Northern colonies, 

 as ''Hie" in Jolop, "Jallow" in Mandingo, ''Dubina" and 

 " Oganwo " on the Gold Coast. It does not appear to be in any 

 quantity south-east of Sekondi on that coast ; but is reported from 

 Angola and Nyassaland. W 34-5. Between Sekondi and Lagos 

 no Mahogany is shipped ; but from Lagos to Benin TricMUa Pri- 

 curidna is the predominant species, and from Benin to Sapeli 

 Entandrophrdgma CandoUei. Some of the trees reach very large 

 dimensions, being often 100 ft. to the first branch, and squaring 

 2 ft. at that height. The wood is, however, mainly shipped in logs 

 from 10—29 ft. long, and mostly between 15 and 20 ft., and from 

 13—52 in.— or mostly 20—30 in.— deep at the butt. There is 

 an apparently iUimitable demand for logs 30—36 in. deep. The 

 wood shipped from Assinee and Axim reaches the largest dimensions, 

 that from Sekondi seldom exceeding 50 cubic ft. per log, and 

 that from Lagos being also small. In colour the woods vary from 

 yellow to brown, with dark zones, and it is sometimes so finely 

 figured as to realize 5s. to 12s. per superficial foot for veneers. 

 Bathurst wood is the hardest ; but whilst those from Guinea are 

 mostly of good quahty in this respect, that from the Gaboon is 

 little better than Birch, fetches much lower prices, and is probably 

 quite a distinct species. Some of the best wood is shipped from 

 the Ivory Coast ; but, owing to the surf, it is difficult to get the logs 

 ofi, so that but little reaches Liverpool. Very large quantities 

 are shipped from Axim, and the logs fetch good prices, up to 

 5, 7, 9, and even from 12 to 19 pence a foot. Sekondi is increas- 

 ing in importance as a port of shipment, the small logs brought down 

 by rail from north of Tarquah being firm and of good colour. 

 More than a quarter of the whole supply is now shipped from Lagos : 

 the Benin wood is excellent, and that from Sapeli (Entandro- 

 'pJiragma ?) is fine, large, well-squared, and scented like a Cedar. 

 IJntandrophrdgma CandoUedna De Wild. «fe T. Dur., known 

 locally as " Cail-Cedra," is a large tree, 100 ft. high, described, 

 from the neighbourhood of Stanley Falls in the Congo Free State, 

 as " un bel Acajou," and as yielding abundance of a yellowish 

 resin. E. angoUnse CDC. {==Swietenia AngoUnsis Welw.), 

 " Quibaba da Qtxcta," is also a large tree ; but, perhaps, yields 

 inferior wood. Khdya anthotMca CDC. " Quibaba da Mus- 

 sangue," described by Welwitsch, from the south-west, as a large 

 tree, 40 — 60 ft. high and 4 — 5 ft. in diam., is stated by Mr. M. T. 

 Dawe to occur in the Semliki Forest and in Unyoro in Eastern 

 Tropical Africa. In this region the last-named botanist also 

 records a TricMUa near to T. emHica Vahl as yielding a useful 



