In Afric’s Forest and Jungle 
late at night and before day in the morning. 
They are indefatigable workers. 
Rubber, ivory and cotton are important articles 
of export. The last is perennial and has pods 
in all stages of development during the growing 
season and the fibre is of a very fine quality. 
Elephants abound and are killed in large numbers 
by professional hunters. But the great staple of 
the country is palm-oil. Crests of palm trees dot 
the country as far as the eye can see. Men only 
can scale the lofty stems and gather the bunches 
of beautiful nuts, but the oil is extracted by 
women. One set of women separates the nuts 
from their integuments, another boils them in 
large earthen pots and still another crushes off the 
fibre from the kernel nut in large mortars. The 
crushed fibre is then placed in large clay vats 
filled with water and the oil is pressed out by 
trampling and rises to the surface. It is then 
gathered and boiled to free it from any water 
which may have adhered to it. No part of the 
palm-nut is wasted. Lamp oil and soap grease 
are made from the kernel of the nut and black¬ 
smith’s coal from the hull. The crushed fibre is 
used for kindling. 
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