jan. — mar. 1858.] The Geographical Society. 



259 



inspected many wells and excavations upon the coast, and rarely 

 saw either blue clay or tree roots underlying the gravel. The 

 habitat of the Cocoanut is chiefly the Coralline coast, but it extends 

 along the Panjany river, and bears fruit at least 30 miles from the 

 sea ; wherever it is found at any distance from the main stream the 

 natives judge water to be near. 



The ripe Copal (called Gum Animi in the London market) is the 

 most interesting production of Eastern Africa. This semi-fossil is 

 not generally " washed out of streams and torrents," but dug up 

 especially during the rains by the Sawahili of the coast and the 

 savages of the interior. There is, however, a kind of gum called 

 by the natives— who deeming it the Egesta of whales, know no use 

 for it — " Damar." Found upon the sea, especially about Cape 

 Delgado, it floats, whereas copal sinks, in water : it may be unripe 

 gum washed from the shore during the wet monsoon. The whole 

 of this coast produces the real copal of commerce in different de- 

 grees of excellence. Specimens have been brought to Zanzibar from 

 Brava and Magdishu (Magadoxo). Small quantities are found in 

 the Rabai hills behind Mombas, and the tree grows in the jungle- 

 patches which stud the range. From Panjany southwards for 80 

 miles it is plentiful, at distances varying from three hours' march 

 to two days' journey from the coast. It would be impossible for 

 us " to trace the position and circumstances of the extinct forest, 

 of which it now constitutes the principal remains." Such an in- 

 vestigation would require at least two months' voyaging along and 

 dwelling upon the fatal sea board. In most places, I am told, there 

 is now no sign of a tree. 



Of Gum Copal these regions supply two great varieties : 



1. Raw, popularly called "Jackass Copal," is, I venture to 

 opine, ths gum which, exuding from the trunk or branches of the 

 live tree when injured by elephant or man, fall to the ground, and 

 either infiltrated, or was covered by successive layers of soil. Like 

 a common resin it is softened by spirit, and becomes viscid in the 

 solution used for washing ripe copal. This variety is exported in 

 considerable quantities from Zanzibar to China, where, it is said, 

 the people have discovered and retained to themselves the secret 



