342      ON  THE  FKANKINCENSE  TKEE  OF  WESTERN  AFRICA. 
wide,  of  an  irregular  ovate  or  semilunar  shape,  when  ripe  of  a 
pale  yellow  color,  and  bursting  into  four  segments,  two  inner  and 
two  outer,  previous  to  their  fall  from  the  branches.  Between 
the  suture  of  the  two  former  is  embodied  a  solitary,  flat,  ovate- 
oblong,  and  chocolate-colored  seed,  which  usually  detaches  itself 
from  the  sutures  as  they  expand,  and  is  suspended  by  a  firm, 
funicular  attachment  to  the  inner  surface  of  one  of  the  external 
segments.  The  leaves  are  bipinnate,  of  a  pale  green,  pervaded 
by  a  greyish  tint,  that  also  characterises  the  trunk.  In  the 
younger  productions  they  are  of  larger  development,  but  the 
pinnse  are  less  numerous  than  in  those  of  a  later  growth.  It  is 
unnecessary  for  me  to  enter  into  any  further  botanical  details, 
after  the  able  delineation  of  the  plant  by  Mr.  Bennett  in  the 
Pharmaceutical  Journal  for  last  November. 
Two  kinds  of  frankincense,  brought  from  the  circumjacent  vil- 
lages, may  be  found  in  the  market  of  Freetown,  both  of  which 
are  evidently  the  produce  of  the  same  tree.  The  Tirst  can  be 
partly  recognized  by  the  dark  brown,  or  black  shining  and  ir- 
regular fragments,  from  apparently  having  a  larger  amount  of 
gum  blended  with  the  woody  fibre  than  the  other,  which  is  met 
with  in  smaller  and  less  compact  pieces,  more  friable,  and  of  a 
lighter  brown  or  yellow  tint,  being  chiefly  constituted  of  manifold 
white,  woody  particles,  cemented  into  masses  by  the  excreted 
gum.  Of  these  two  varieties  the  latter  is  the  least  valued.  They 
are,  nevertheless,  usually  found  intermixed  in  the  samples  offered 
for  purchase. 
The  incense-like  fragrance  peculiar  to  these  woody-resinous 
excretions,  renders  them  available  for  a  variety  of  uses.  Occa- 
sionally they  are  had  recourse  to  for  the  fumigation  of  houses  in 
cases  of  sickness,  but  their  ordinary  appliance  in  the  Sierra  Leone 
districts,  is  that  of  a  perfume  among  the  native  females.  With 
this  view  they  triturate  the  gum  with  lime  manufactured  from 
sea-shells,  between  two  purposely  adapted  stones,  and  after  their 
reduction  into  a  fine  powder,  rub  their  bodies  with  it. 
The  bark,  though  endowed  with  similar  odoriferous  properties 
to  a  limited  degree,  is  seldom  or  never  resorted  to  for  any  per- 
sonal or  domestic  employment.  The  ignition  of  the  gum  is 
rapid :  a  bright  yellow  flame,  attended  with  a  black  or  carbona- 
ceous smoke,  resulting.    This  is  followed  by  the  deposition  of  a 
