M E M O I R S - - OF THE REIGN OF B 0 S S A A H A D E IE] aaT KING o v DA H 0 MY, ESSAYS and POEMS on the Subjea of Slavery and the Slave-Trade, publifhed by W. Lowndes. T> IDLAKE's Sermon on the Slave-Trade, in |td* Price is. Candid Reflections upon the Tudgment in the King's Bench on- the Negro Caufe, ijn -Bvo. Price is. 6d. Harris's Scriptural Researches on the Licitnefs of the Slave-Trade, fhewing its Conformity to the Principles of Natural and Revealed Religion, 8vo. Price 2s. Hawker's ^etmdn on the Injuflicc of the African Slave-Tradc, in ^tO. Price is. Hippifley's .Three EiTays on the Popiloufnefc, Trade, &c. of Africa, with a Map, in 8vo. Price is. 6d. Mulligan's Poems on Slavery' and Oppreilion, with Notes and Illuftrations, in ijtO. Price Propofal for the Confederation of thofe who intereft themfelves in the Abolition or Prefervation of the Slave-Trade, in Bvo. Price 66. Weft-Indian Eclogues between Slaves in Jamaica, with Explanatory Notes, in ^jto*. Price 2s. Wrongs of Almoona, or the African's Revenge, a Narrative Poem, founded on Hiftorical Facts, in ±to. Price 3s. 6d. ±=fc= o JB' OOUttJ Kingdom of Dahomy Whose Kmg GuadjaTrudo/onquewd IhcKhafdowso/'Ardra/i andWhydah~injf27. Ayoes or Eyoes a warlike fieafile Ma HEES o Horary 7,a.rsa \honmy n the Capitat •r (',////////n \whert-tfie Kino p/?t/> AJ('xirrif. del? c>rAxvcYy War ee WoitUirt.m i.-J//i//ir» Sett//!' MEMOIRS OF THE REIGN OF R 0 S S A A H A D E E, KING of DA HOMY, An INLAND COUNTRT of GVINET. to which are added, THE AUTHOR's JOURNEY To AB0ME1\ the Capital; and A SHORT ACCOUNT Of the AFRICAN SLAVE TRADE. By ROBERT NORRIS. Illustrated with a New ML. LONDON: Printed for W.Lowndes, No.77, Fleet-Street. LYCKAl M.DCC.LXXXIX. Extratt of a Letter from the Author to the Editor, I Wifh the manufcript which you have been at the trouble of perufmg, were more deferring of the public attention i but the fact is, that amidft the indifpenfible avocations of bufinefs, one has very little time, during an occafional refidence in Africa, to beftow attention upon the hiftory, either natural or political, o£ that country ; and the ftupidity of the natives is an in> fuperable barrier againit. the inquirer's information. After your premrtg intreaties, I cannot with-hold my confent to its being printed ; and although I have no ambition for my name to appear, yet, if you judge it at all necelTary, to eftablijb the credibility of the fails related, you are at liberty to make what ufe you pleafe of it. I could not eafily avoid, in my narrative, the terms king, general, palace, and the like, and be intelligible to the EngUJh reader. For example: what I call palace, a g is, ♦ 1 EXTRACT OF A LETTER FROItf is, in the language of the country, jimbomy \ which (literally tranilated) means, a big houfe. This might have founded aukwardly, and I have therefore adopted fhc correfponding term moil familiar to an Englijh eatf. When thefe terms occur, it mult not be forgotten, that they are by no means Intended to convey the fame ideas, which arc ufually annexed to them in civilized focieties of mankind: and, for the rcafons jufl. alleged* I may hope it will be deemed a very excufaMe burk-fque, to dignify a brutal barbarian with the title of king; or hid place of habitation (which is little fuperior to a dog-. ketttieO wirit the fp!cndid name of a palace. Atkins, who faw the palace of the king of IVlydah before it was deftroyed, defcribes it as M a dirty, large, " batflboo building, of a mile or two in circumference j " where he kept a tboufand concul/ines, and divided hi a " time between eating and lull." This defcription, I venture 10 believe, is very fuitable to all or molt of ths The royal fimhmy, or great houfe at Qdmina, is fur-rounded by a mud wall, about twenty feet high ; the gcoufid it. occupies is nearly a fquare ; each fide oJ which is little fhortof a mile in extent; for I found tlit two We* \-vhich I meafurcd, each llxteen hundred of the author to the editor. \u my paces in length. In the centre of each fide was a large building, in which a guard of women and eunuchs under arms was potted. On the roofs, which were of thatch, were ranged, on fmall wooden (takes, a great many human jkulls of prifoners taken in war. The inner apartments, which I had an opportunity of feeing, were only feveral large courts, communicating with each other; generally fquarc, or oblong, cncompalTed by mud walls. In each of them was a piazza, or (lied, formed with ports about feven feet high, and planted in the ground at the diltance of about twelve or fourteen feet from the wall: the intermediate fpace was covered with a ilanting thatched roof, fuppOrtcd on bamboo rafters, retting upon the pofts, and reaching to the top of the wall, which, in this part, was in general about twenty feet high, but only eight or ten feet on the other ftdeS of the court. The area of thefe courts was of the common foil of the country \ but beneath the fheds the ground was elevated a few inches by a bed of clayey mortar, which formed the floor \ and the wall was in fome parts white-walTied with a fpecies of pipe-clay which the country produces. The whole had fome-what the refemblance of an auemblage of farm-yards with long thatched barns, hovels for cattle and carts, vfn EXTRACT Of A LLTTER FROJrf and low mnd walls to fcparate them from each other/ The interior of a Negrilli palace is not fo eafy to bo defcribed. ' Its iecelTcs arc never entered by any human being ot the rfiak gender; and the' female apartments arc guarded from mtrufwn, with more than eajh'rnjc2-Loufy. I never pulled the limits' Of the courts before, mentioned, except once at Abomey, wl\en the old king dhadec wa3 fick, and would fee me in his bed-cham* ber, which was a detached circular room, of aboutf eighteen feci diameter; it had a thatched, conical roof; the walls were of mud, anel white-waihed within ; there was a fmall area before it, limited by a wall about three iu: hi.:'h, the top of which was ftuck full of human jaw bones, and the path leading to the door was paved widi hvman jhdls. The mattrefs and bedftead were rf European manufacture, with check curtains \ the furniture of the room confided of a fmall table, a. "rfioft, and two or three chairs; and the clay fiex>r was cfivedbd with a carpet, which 1 had fold to him fame few months before. The apartments for the women ■ each of v. btora have feparate huts) occupy, I believe, the rer.uiiu.ler of the fpace within the palace walls \ except a fmall part appropriated to the eunuchs, and to lome nectary iiore-hot'.fcs, for holding the provifions of the author to the editor. ix of his numerous family, as well, as for his c&wries, iron bars, clothes, arms, ammunition, Sec. and for fome articles of European furniture. The late king was very defirous of buying any article^ of this fort that he could procure; fuch as tables, chairs, bureaus, mahogany liquor-cafes, walking canes, cafes of knives and forks, and fpoons, filvcr cups, and glafs ware. I once brought him a two-handled hlver cup and cover, of chafed work, weighing two hundred and twenty-fix ounces. 1 have fometimes dined in the piazzas, or (beds, before mentioned, and fometimes in the open area of fome of the courts: on the latter occafions, the table, &c. were ikreened from the fun by large umbrellas held up by attendants, clothed in the country drefs; which (for the men) in Dabomy, confifts of a pair of wide drawers, and a piece of cloth of about three yards long, and two broad, worn loofcly round the body, in. fuch a manner as to leave the right arm free, and bare. I found no deficiency of table apparatus, and the king has always a fucceilion of cooks trained up in the European forts at Whydah> fo that he is able to treat his vifitors with victuals drelfcd after their own country manner. My repairs ufed, to be fcrved up in plates, and diilies of pewter and earthen ware. I lhould remark, that. x Extract of a letter FRor^f that although the twe-tzvee and dogs fiejb arc highly* relifhed by the natives, the king's European gucfts are never difguftcd by the introduction of either. I do not think the Dahomans are Anthropophagijis, HI the full fenfe of that word ; though they fcruple not to eat a devoted victim at the public feftivals ; and yet reproach their own countrymen, the natives of Three, with Canabalifm, of which, I own, I am not inclined to believe them guilty. But, that other African nations are addi&ed to that unnatural practice, I have not the fmallcfl doubt ; becaufc, from the concurrent and credible telTimony of thofe who have been at Bonny, it is well known that a Bonny man kills and cats an Audony man ; and an Audony man treats a Bonny man in the fame way, whenever he has an opportunity : I mean, as a familiar repaft, and not merely in favage triumph after a victory. Snelgrave is certainly correct, and Atkins ill-informed and erroneous, refpeciing the Daho-man king's motive for invading If'hydab. I knew many of the old IVhydajians as well as Dahomans who were prefent when Trudo attacked that kingdom. They attributed his entcrprize fiely to the dclirc of extending his dominions, and of enjoying at the fir}} hand, thofe commodities whkh lie had been ufed to purchafe of the THE AUTHOR TO THE EDITOR. xi the Wbydajkm^ who were in polfeilion of the coaff. Trudo had folicited permiflion from the king of Whydah to enjoy a free commercial pajfage through his country to the fea fide, on condition of paying the ufual cujioms upon JJaves exported; this was peremptorily rcfufed by the king of IVhydah ; and in confequence of this rcfu-fal, Trudo determined to obtain his purpofe by force of arms : he fuccecdcd in the attempt, and exterminated a great part of the inhabitants. His conquer! of the adjoining kingdom of Ardra facilitated the acqulfition of the other. Ardra was once a powerful and populous nation, whole fovcreignty extended from the river Volt a, to the Lagos \ but having afterwards been weakened by the revolts of Jfhrifta (called by Bojman, Ccto), and of Popoe, IVhydah, Appee, Bidagry, and Lagos, it became incapable of oppofing the victorious arms of Trudo. IVhydah, whofe king had imprudently declined to lend any afliitance againft the common enemy, foon fell a very eafy conqucft, and with it, the tributary port and province of Jacqidrt. This reftlefs barbarian, after glutting his vengeance with carnage, and the dcfolation of every maritime date which he was able to reduce, turned his fword againft thofe island kingdoms which had hitherto withstood hi* attacks. xu extract of a letter, &Ci attacks. But meeting unexpectedly with a fevere re-pulfe, his ferocity was redoubled by the difgrace, and he fought to gratify it, by committing frefh outrages* in the countries he had conquered. The arts of peace, the encouragement of agriculture, the introduction of practicable manufactures, and the promoting a civilized commerce with European traders, by an interchange of the native products of the mod fertile fpot irt Gu'mey, were improvements, of which he does not appear to have ever formed the fmallelt idea ; and of which his mind was probably not fufceptible. His pretended letter to his " Brother" George II. the monarch of Great Britain, is now known to have been an impudent forgery of one Bullfinch Lambe, who made his way with it to the Duke of Chandos, at that time the great patron of the Britifh trade to Africa. The policy of Trudo was that of an ambitious and brutal favage, who fought to retain the territories he had acquired, by the expedient of firing the towns, and flaugh-tering the inhabitants \ and in thefe exploits he employed fome of the lait years of his life, which ended in 1732. The fovereignty devolved to Bcffa Ahadee, whofe Memoirs I relate, and now with the utmoft humility fub-mil to the candor of the public." R, N. INTRODUCTION. rT^HE Dahomans, a powerful and war-like nation of Africa, who live to the eallward of the Gold CoaJ?, between the rivers Volta and Benin, have not efcaped the notice of modern geographers ; whofe attention they engaged, by extending their dominions to the fea coaft, and annexing to them, by conqueft, the kingdom of IF,by Jab; a country fo refpectable for its trade, that the Englifh, French and Portuguefe maintain forts there for the protection of their refpective (hares of it. The Dahomans, but little more than a century ago, were an inconfiderable nation; formidable however to their neighbours, for their valour and military (kill: they were then known by the xiv introduction. the name of Foys; and the town of DaiL-bee, which lies between Calmina and Abomcy, was the capital of their fmall territory. Early in the I a ft: century, Tacoodonou^ chief of the Fay nation, bafely murdered, in violation of the facred laws of hofpitality, a fovereign prince his neighbour, who made him a friendly vifit to honor one of his feflivals: he then attacked and took Calmina, the capital of the deceafed: flrengthened by this ac-quihtion, he ventured to wage war with Da, king of Abomey, whom hebefieged in his capital, which he foon reduced; and in confcquence of a vow, that he made during the fiege, put Da to death, by cutting open his belly; and placed his body under the foundation of a palace that he built in Ahomey, as a memorial of his victory; which he called Da-homy, from Da the unfortunate victim, and Homy his belly : that is, a houfe built in Das belly. 7acoodonou introduction. xv Tacoodonou after this conqueit. fixed his refidence at Abcmcy, and affumed the title of King of Dabomy; of which the cruel circumflance juif. mentioned gives the true etymology ; and from thence alfo the Foys, his fubjecls, arc generally called Dahomans: in the country indeed the old name of Foys prevails ; but to Europeans, I believe* they are only known by the name of Dahomans. v » Thus Tacoodonou eftablifhcd the Da-toman empire, which- about a century afterwards his illuftrious defcendant Guadjd Trudo aggrandized, by fubduing various kingdoms, and adding IVhydah to his dominions, in the year 1727; the conquefl of which is particularly related by Sne/graye, Atkins and others. Having premifed this to the following account, which I have attempted to draw lip, of the reign of Boffa Abadce, late king x v1 in t r o DUCT I on . king of Da/jomj'y I fhall conclude with a lift of the kings of that country ; Tacoodonou conquered Abdmcyy and founded the Dahoman empire, about the year 1625. Adaunzou I. began his reign'in 165a Vibagee, in''1680. '1 to sauya 2ih -oni vino 370 Guadja Trudo (who conquered Ardra, Why dab. an?d Jacquin), in 1708. Bo/fa Ahadee, in 1732. Adaunzou II. the prefent king, in 177^'. v \ u n lifts - " tnii ?rjc MEMOIRS M E M O I R S OF THE REIGN OF B 0 S S A A H A D E E9 KING of DAHOMY. Written in the Year 1773. C H A P. I. JlOSSA AHADEE fucceeded his father Guadja Trudo in his hereditary kingdom of Dahomy, and alfo in the poffeflion of thofe numerous and extenlive acquifitions' obtained by the victorious forces of that fuccefsful tyrant;—the valuable kingdoms of Ardrah and IVhydah, together with. Toree, Didouma, Ajirrah and Jacquiny towards the fea; besides feveral ftates inland bordering upon B Dabotny s Dabomy j as Povey, which he afTigned for the patrimony of the heir-apparent, and others, whofe names I am not acquainted with. All thefe, Trudo conquered, and lived to fee effectually enflaved to his domination. By Trudo's management (in tolerating his new fubjedts with the free exercife of their various fuperftitions j and incorporating them with the Dahomans by intermarriage if it may be fo called), no diftinc-tions being made between the conquerors and conquered, who were now become one people, many of thofe who had fled their native countries, to avoid the calamities of war, were induced to return and fubmit quietly to his government; by which means, every part of his dominions became reple-nifhed with people, and fo devoted was their fubmimon, that none of the conquered ftates have to this day made any efforts to regain their independence. Such was the fituation of affairs, when Trudo, full of years, paid the debt of nature. His memory is frill dear to the Dahomans, and in matters of great importance it is cuirom-ary with them to fwear by his name, as the molt moil facred of all imprecations. His numerous conquefts terrify him to have been a great warrior; and that he was courteous, as well as intrepid, appears from his reply to the governors of the French, Englifh, and Portuguefe forts in IVhydah, who applied to him, on his conqueft of that country, for an abatement of the duties which had been exacted by the former fovereigns from the European ihipping trading there. " As a mark « of my eiteem, faid he, I will ufe you as an " old man does his young bride, to whom he c< can rcfuic nothing ; it mall be as you re-" quire, I remit you one half of the duties c* for ever." As it is criminal in the natives of this country to difcourfe on politics, or to make any remarks upon the adminiftration of public affiirs, it is difficult to acquire any extensive knowledge of facts; and the little information which can be obtained, is but imperfect : the remembrance of the molt inter-effing occurrences generally dies with thofe concerned in them. Fathers have not here an opportunity of relating to their children a detail of what they have fecn or done: B a the the children belong to the Irate, or rather are the property of the king, to whom they are fent at too tender an age to recollect any thing of their parents. The old foldier dares not fhew his fears and fight his battles over a bottle here • however, during a long refidence, I have picked up the following memoirs among them : which I have arranged in order of time, as well as my in-formation enabled me. Trudo's death was concealed, as is cufto-mary upon fuch occafions, until the prime miniflers, who are frilcd Tamegan and May-bou, had confulted togther, and agreed which of his fons was to fucceed { a truft which devolves to thefe officers, upon the deceafe of their fovereign : for though the fon, who is the firft born, after his father comes into poffcilion of the regal dignity, is efteemed heir apparent to his dominions, yet if he appears to thefe two minif-ters, from fome defect or vice, of body or mind, to be unworthy of this exalted fla-tion, they have the power of rejecting him, and of chuling from among the other children, him who feems to be molt deferving or or bcfl qualified to rule over them.* Upon the prefent occafion, they rejected the eldelt fon, and were unanimous in fixing their choice on Ahadee; whole reign has been a continued feries of mifery to his unhappy country, and who, notwithftanding fome good qualities, has proved upon the whole, a bad king, and a worfe man. Tamegan and Maybou having determined on their choice, announced Trudo's death and proclaimed Ahadee king : by which determination, his elder brother Zingah, finding his: hopes difappointed, and himfelf aggrieved by the lofs of an inheritance, with the expectation of which he had flattered himfelf; founded privately the difpoiition of his friends. On applying fecretly to thofe upon whom he had conferred favors in his father's life time, he received affurance, of numbers B 3 being * This wc find was alfo the cuftom in the kingdom of Whydah; where a general plunder prevailed, until the choice of the new king was publickly announced ; there is fomething remarkable in this temporary anarchy, (and return as it were into the ftate of nature) as if it were ori-f gmally meant, to make the people eager for the revival of f ovgreign power, and a fettled government. being willing ro efpoufe his caufe; and he began to concert meafures to furprize his brother, and feize the government either by ftratagem or force. Ahadee however, got intelligence of his defign ; Zmgab, and the principal confpirators were feized, juft on the point of taking up arms to affert his claim : Zingah was fewed up in a hammock at Abomey, in which he was carried to Why-dab, where he was put into a canoe, and taken about two leagues out at fea, and there thrown over-board and drowned. The law of the country does not allow the facred blood of the royal family to be fhed, but appoints this punilhment for their offences : fuch was the end of ZJngah, and all his adherents were put to death. The king, now clear of his competitor, and fecure in the peaceable poffeffion of his dominions, threw off the mafk, and gave an unbounded indulgence to his inclinations ; which unhappily were of the worft kind. One of the firft edicts of his reign was, that every man of the name of Bo/fay fhould be put to death ; which cruel order was punctually executed throughout his dominions; old old and young, indifcriminately fuffered, and many innocent and ufeful men, were loir to the community, for the gratification of his vanity ; who thought it an infult to majeity, that a fubjedt mould bear the fame name as the fovereign. Though fame has tranfmitted this enormity to pofterity, fhe has been kind to his memory in burying in oblivion the repeated acts of cruelty and oppreffion which at lail roufed Maybou, and induced him in 1735, to take up arms, to free his country from the tyranny, under which it groaned. From the fpecimcn above mentioned, we may judge, what the king was capable of doing ; and great indeed muft the provocations have been, that induced Maybou to take this ftep; for it is thedifpofition of the Dahomans to think favorably of their king, and approve his actions; they reverence him with a mixture of love and fear, little fhort of adoration. " I think of my king," replied a Dahomy man to me; when I afked him, juft before his going to battle, if he-was not apprehenfive of finding the enemy too ftrong. " I think of my king," faid B 4 Dakou% Dakou* " and then I dare engage five of " the enemy myfelf." I am anxious for your fafety, faid I, and fhall be happy that you efcape the dangers of the day. * It is not * material ;" " he replied, my head belongs '* to the king, not to myfelf; if he pleafes to *c fend for it, I am ready to refign it; or if The Mahee country, which is an extenfive one, lies to the weftward of Dabomy, on its borders it is divided into feveral fmall flates, each governed by its own laws, and independent of one another: thefe mates form a republic, and unite for the common fafety, when dangers threaten any of the confederated members. The war with them was entirely provoked by Ahadee. They were difpofed to live in friendfhip with him j but his reftlefs fpirit would not fuffer them to remain in peace. He claimed a right of interference in their national concerns, and in-C filled MEMOIRS OF THS REIGtf Hired on altering their mode of government \ and upon their refufal to comply, declared war againft them. He had heard in hi:-; youth, that the Foys were invincible, and their arms irrefiftiblc: but if they were fo in the days of Trudo, his misfortunes and dif-graces fhould have taught Ahadee to be lefs confident, He refolved therefore to aboiiih the republic, and give the Mahees a king % but he wanted talents proportioned to this enterprife. Trudo had been monarch, ftatef-man, general, uniting all in his own perfon, and conftantly fought at the head of his troops. Ahadee, immured in his feraglio, where tboufands adminiflcred to his plca-fures, expected a prompt devotion to his will, and flattering himfelf with an eafy conquer^ thought nothing was more expedient for that purpofe, than to lignify to Agaow, « That '* his houfe wanted thatch" which is the phrafc ufed in giving his general orders to go to war, and alludes to the cultom of placing the heads of the enemy, killed in battle, or any of the prifoners of diftinction, on the roof of the guard houfes at the gates of his palaces. . Ahadee pretended, that his fubjects travelling \ veiling through the Mahce country to more diftant nations, for the purpofes of trade, were frequently opprefled by heavy taxes, arbitrarily impofed there by the ftates through which they had occalion to pafs $ that thefe ftates were fo numerous and avaricious, that it was impoflible, in the prefent fituation of affairs, to regulate their demands, for the future fecurity of his fubjects* property *, but that if one king governed the whole Mahee nation, treaties could then be eftablifhed, to the mutual advantage of both kingdoms. This in fact, was mere pretence; for no part of Abadtr's conduct had teftihed that regard for the welfare and intereft of his people, which his language on the prefent occalion fecmed to manifeft. The true rea-fon was, that one of his favorite wives, who was a Mahee woman, had a brother whom he wifhed to advance to this dignity ; but tke Mahees refufed to relinquifh their independence, and fubmit to be governed, by a tyrant ; and Ahadee perfiftcd in his refolution. A war commenced in 1737, and was carried on with all that favage fury which is culto-mary among barbarous nations. The pri-C 2 foners foners of diltinrflion were put to death j and the other captives configned to flavery; thefe were the heft terms either party allowed. Many battles were fought with various fuc-cefs ; fometimes the Mabecs, fometimes the Dahomans were victorious ; but neither would relinquifh their pretentions : to follow them through all their fcenes of daughter, would be a difgufting tafk, and indeed almoft impoflible. The fevereft blow which the Mahees received was in 1752, about fifteen years after, the commencement of the war: they had been unfuccefsful in fome battles, and were unable to keep the field. There hy in their country a very high mountain ca-lled Boagry3 rendered almoff inaccefhble by nature, and deemed impregnable: thither the Mabees fled, with the mattered remains of their army. The Dahomans pillaged, and laid wafte the country without oppofition ; and having impofed what terms, and contributions they pleafed on the vanquifhcd, Agaow fat down with his army and inverted Boagry; which as a camp, had one fault; it was as difficult to quit, when occafion required, as it was. arduous arduous of acccfs. Many Ikirmifhes happened betwixt the beliegers and befieged, thefe making frequent failles, and the others many attempts to force their way up the mountain. The Mabeest planted corn, and had plenty of water upon Boagry, which enabled them to perfevere in a long refinance. Agaaw, had now inveftcd them near twelve months, without being able to advance far up the mountain ; when the king, folicitous for the honor of his arms, fent his general all the amftance that he was able to draw together, and ordered him to hazard every thing for the reduction of Boagry, whatever the lofs of men might be on the occalion. Agaowt was by this time, well acquainted with the mountain, and led on his men to this dangerous enterprize, determined either to conquer, or die in the attempt: he attacked it, in every accefiible part: the Ma-heest made an obftinate refiftance, and killed an immenfe number of their enemy ; but at lad, the bravery of the Dabomaus, and their Superior numbers, furmounted every difficulty ; they routed the Mabees from their C 3 entrenchments, entrenchments, and fummit. 1 A prodigious daughter enfued, for there was no pombility of efcaping: the unfortunate remnant which the fword had fpared, were led in triumph, captive to Abomey, where the chiefs were put to death, and the remainder fold for (laves. The king was at this time warmly en~ gaged with the old Wbydahs, and Popoes; and had occalion for all his troops to reinforce his army in that quarter, which induced him to delirt from further hoitilities againft the Mabees at prefent, and even to confcnt to a truce with them ; but as this was ill obferved by either fide, it proved of very fhort continuance. The Mabees, though defeated, were far from being fubjugated; thofe who had fled, after the calamity which happened at Boagry, returned to their country, and were frill a formidable enemy: efpe-cially as the Dahomans, were now weakened by a feries of near twenty years unprofitable wars. Hoitilities were renewed, and carried on as before, to the ruin of both countries ; without producing any thing decifiye. Aha- dee dee could not effect his purpofe of impofing a king on the Mahees ; nor were they fo far humbled as to fubmit to accept of one. They refolved to retaliate the infult at Boagry\ by invading Dabomy-, and actually penetrated into that difmal foreft which divides Dabomy from Ardra, in order by that manoeuvre to intercept any fuccours coming from the kingdoms of Ardra or PVbydab to the relief of Dabomy : but in confequenceof fome divi-fion in their councils (a grievance to which republics are generally expofed), they retired again without atchieving any thing worthy of the boldnefs and wifdom of the defign. In 1764, the advantage feemed to be on the fide of the Dahomans, who then laid liege a fecond time to Boagry: but had not a fuffi-cient force to render themfelves matters of it. Several of Ahadee's fons were with his army, to animate the foldiers by their prev fence ; and among them his favorite Jupera, his father having fent him under Agaozv's care, to acquire military excellence. This general had been encamped above twelve months around Boagry ; when the king, inv C 4 patient patient at the delay, accufed him .of cowardice, and fent Mayhou to take the command ; with orders to proceed immediately to the aflault. When Agaozu found himfelf fuper-feded, and difgraced, he judged it was time to confult his perfonal fafery, as he well knew the king's difpleafure to be implacable. Having Jupera, the hcir-apparcnt in power, he could have taken a fevere revenge of his ungrateful matter; but he gencroufly delivered him into Maybou's care, and withdrew privately to the Mahecs: who recciveda and protected him. Mayhou, made an unfuccefsful attempt againft Boagry; was repulfed, and obliged to raiic the liege : he returned with his army to Dabomy; and to add to the unfortunate event, Jupera died on the march. Ahadee failed in his views, and in fact unable to pro-fecute them any further, never attempted any thing of confequence afterwards againft the Mahees ; and the perfon, in whofe favor he had made fo many fruitlcfs exertions, dying fome years afterwards, both parties feemed heartily tired of the war, and agreed to a peace in 1772, which ftill continues. CHAP. CHAP- IV. DU RIN G the continuance of the Mo-bee war, the Dahomans had to6 much employment, in another quarter, to permit them ever to breathe from their toils. The old Wbydabs, afffiled by the Popes, allowed them no refpite on that fide. This war was ftill more ruinous if pomblc, than that which was carried on with the Mabees: the Ilibi-mans, were generally obliged to act. upon the defenfive; and even when they routed the enemy, could reap but little advantage from the victory : for their country, environed by fwamps, and creeks, is fo defenfible by nature, that it was next to impoflible to purfue them. It may be nccefiary to explain the motives of this war. When Trudo, king of Dabomy had fubducd Ardra, and Toree, he led his victorious army in 1727, againft the Why dabs, who fhame-fully fled before him j and without making any any refinance, or even trying the fortune of a battle, yielded their country an eafy prey to the invader. Many were made prifoners, and fold for flayes; fome furrendered them-felves to the conqueror's mercy, 'and were admitted to be his vaflals : but, the greater number efcaped, and fled out of the country, taking refuge among their neighbours the Popoes, whofc country borders on PVhydab, to the wen ward, and fettled there ; in a low, marfhy country, furrounded with fvvamps, and. intcrfected with many branches of rivers, which form a multitude of iflands, on which they lived. Thefe refugees, aflifted by the Popoes, with whom they were incorporated and became as it were one nation, bore an inveterate hatred againlt the Dahomans; and, urged by a dehte of regaining their native country, omitted no occafion to barrafs them. Their vicinity to fFhydah; the facility with which they tranfported their troops in canoes, within two miles of GrL wbee, the capital of it j the cmbarraffed fitu-ation of the king's affairs, whofe country was fometimes over run by the Eyoes, and whofe whole force was at other times employed againft againft the Mahees, and this frontier left de~ fencelefs • afforded them many opportunities of committing invafions with advantage. They frequently got poffeiiion of IVhydah beach, and interrupted the trade; ih which event the fhipping were often confidcrable fufferers : the white people, their goods, or whatever property happened to be on the beach fell a prey to them : fometimes they made incurlions up to the town of Grkvhee, where the Englifh, French, and Portuguese, have each, a fort; and if attacked by a iiu perior force, they readily efcaped to their canoes, and eluded their purfuers : for the Dahomans have no addrefs in engagements on the water, as they are altogether unacquainted with the management of canoes. An occafion prefented in the year 1741, which had it been rightly managed, might have concluded thefe differences, to the fa-tisfaction of the king, and to the advantage of his country: but, over-ruled by his evil genius, he neglected the opportunity • and exafperated the iVhydahs more than ever. The Whydahs, in their exile, ftill adhered to the fyflern of their old government; and continued 28 MEMOIR* OF THE REfiQN continued to be ruled by a king: but it was neceifary, on the accemon of a new one, that he ihould be inaugurated at Xavier, which had been the feat of his anceftors, and the capital of IVhydah, before the conqueft; for the celebration of which ceremony it was requilite, that permiflion mould firft be obtained from Ahadee, who derived an advantage from ir, by exacting a coniidcration for the liberty of going thither; and as a truce was neceifary for a ceffation of hoitilities on thefe occalions, he did not omit to turn it to account, whenever there was an opportunity, by employing his agents to fow di-viiions among them, in hope of reaping lbme advantage by that means. To be king of the IVhydahs, even in their humbled Hate, had its temptations \ and the brother of the rightful heir was, upon the death of his father, which happened about that time, ambitious of this rank. If Ahadee did not fuggeff, he at leaft encouraged this fcherne, with a view to divide the IVhydahs; and afliired him of his fupport; in return for which, the other engaged privately to become his tributary and ally, and to pay a coniiderable fum upon his acccmon to the government. This wicked young man (relying on Ahadee'% protection) whillt the ceremonies were preparing at Xavier, to invert his brother with the regal dignity, had the audacity to murder him there, and the addrefs to be appointed king in his place ; and clofed his atchicvemcnt, by devouring the heart of his unfortunate brother; which lait act. of unnatural barbarity was the proof required by Ahadee, of unlimited devotion to his commands. The enormity of this action, and the engagements which the uiurper had made with Ahadee, though intended to be kept fecret, did not altogether efcape the knowledge of the IVhydahs; they fufpected what had paHed, and feveral of them, inftcad of returning from Xavier to live under fuch a king, remained in the country, and fettled under the protection of the Portugucfe fort at Gritubeeij of which Seignior John Bajile was at that time governor ; a gentleman of humane temper and engaging difpofition. Thefe people maintained a correfpondence "with their countrymen, and making a favorable able report of the governor's behavior, ant! of their own fituation, many of the old Whvdahs were induced to come and fettle in the country, to avoid the horrors of a civil war in their own: rive or fix hundred per-fons eftablifhed themfelvcs peaceably in this manner; and if this difpofition had been properly encouraged, in all probability a much greater number had followed their ex-* ample ; but Ahadee, without waiting for fuch a defirable event, by which he would have gained a large addition of ufeful and valuable fubjecls, cruelly determined to feize upon thefe poor people, and fell them for flavcs. To facilitate his deiign, the king invited Seignior John Bafde to Abomey, on pretence of bufinefs; but the true motive was, to have him in his power. The governor proceeded on his journey, and meeting Agaozv at the head of an army upon the road, in full march towards IVhydah; he was arretted by the king's order, and informed that the only condition of regaining his liberty was to deliver up all the IVhydahs who had put themfelvcs under his protection: the governor urged his faith and honor plighted to thefe people; Or B0S3A AHADEE. 31 people; and, treating the propofal with contempt, was detained prifoncr by the general; who continued his marqh to Grizvhecy and encamped on Gomicgee, a plain between that town and the river, by which polition he cut oft" the retreat of the IVhydahs to their own country. Agaozvy finding the governor was determined not to betray the li'hydahsy offered to take a certain quantity of goods, as a ranfom for them : the propofal was accepted, and the goods delivered ; but pretences were ftill found to detain the governor, and a frefli demand for more goods was made: thefe he alfo confented to pay, and fent an order to the fort for their delivery. A head fcrvant of his, a black man, who had charge of the fort, law that they were deceiving his mafter; and refufed to fend any more goods. He intimated his fufpicions to the IVhydahs, who rinding no poflibility of efcape, refolved to defend themfelves to the laft extremity: they retired into the fort, and got every thing in order for its protection ; determined, if overpowered at laft, to fell their lives as dear as pollible: Agaow remained quiet in his camp on Gonuegec, for about about a fortnight, perhaps waiting for orders ; and then came to a refolution to attack the fort. This was furrounded with a wall and a deep moat, and mounted about thirty guns. Jgaow's difadvantage lay in having no artillery ; however, early in the morning, on the lft of November 1741, he led on his troops to the ftorm, and began his attack on every fide; thofe within the fort were not idle ; but with their cannon made a prodigious Slaughter: the Dahomans, with that bravery which animates them on all occafions, filled up their ranks with frcfli men, as fait as others fell, and continued the aifault. About noon a quantity of gun-, powder in one of the baftions took fire, and communicated the flame to the roofs of the buildings, which were thatched, and blazed furioufly: this accident threw the befieged into great confufion, which was confiderably increafed by an explofion of the magazine, in whofe deftruction every foul near it was involved. The Dahomans now entered at the embrafures, almoit without oppofition, and put every man they met with to the fword. The governor's faithful fervanr, who Who had commanded in the defence, feeing all was loft, threw open the gate, and with a keg of gunpowder under his arm, and a lighted match in his hand, ran, impelled with rage and defpair, towards the place where Agaow was : and having got as near to him as he could, with intention to make him a partner in his own unmerited fate, fet ore to the powder, and heroically blew himfelf to pieces: his fecond in command was taken alive, and roafted afterwards before a flow fire at Calmina. Ahadee afterwards rebuilt the fort for the Portuguese, and difa-vowed Agaow's proceedings ; denying that he gave him any orders to act as he had done; but, although he was dclirous to throw the odium of this affair upon his general, no one pretended to acquit Ahadee himfelf from the infamy of the whole plan and tranfaction. Agaow was about to return from this exploit, when he received orders from the king to go and chaftife the people of Jacauin; a country which borders immediately on Why-daht to the eaflward: it was once a place of fome confequence, and the Dutch had formerly a fettlement there. It had been con-D quered quered by Trudo, and annexed to his dorm* nions : but the inhabitants, taking advantage of the; perplexed irate of the king's affairs, had neglected for fome time paft to pay the tribute, which had been impofed oh them. This country, like that of the Po-poes, furrounded with marines and fwamps, was of difficult accefsj arid the Dahomans were not fufhciently acquainted with the environs, to be able to make an inroad into it: but it happened at this time, that a"woman of fome confequencc, belonging to a Jacquin chief having been guilty of fome gallantries, dreaded the punilhment of her incOnmmcy, fled to Dabomy j and for a promife of the royal protection, engaged to conduct his army through the only path by which Jacquin could be invaded with effect. Agaow having this woman for his guide, entered Jacquin unexpectedly, and extirpated the whole nation, not leaving a fingle inhabitant alive in the zvhole country *• for the poor people, hemmed in by their impalfable moraffes, were * Adaunzou II. fent a few families to re-crlablifh a fettle* mem there id the year 1777. caught, caught, as it were, in a trap, and could not e-fcape* CHAP. V. THE Whydahs Were too much difgufted with their new king, to fuffer him to reign long over them j he had rendered himfelf fo odious, that he could not even form a party among them to fupport his pretentions, and unable to make Ahadee the payment, which had been promifed at his ac-cefTion, all fuCcours from that quarter were refufed : he was therefore obliged to relin-quifh that government which he had atroci-oufly obtained, and withdrew to Dabomy; where, after wandering about for fome time univerfally defpifed, he died miferably of a leprous difeafe, contracted immediately on his return from Xavier: and which the Dahomans attributed to the horrid repall he had made there, when he devoured the heart of his own brother. D » All All that had palled ferved only to exafpe-rate the exiled IVhydahs frill more againft Ahadee, and hoitilities were renewed with greater fury than ever: in 1743 they enlarged their plan of operations, and feemed determined to difpute the polfeflion of IVhydah with him. The Popoes, and all their other friends, concurred in affifting them, an4 they invaded IVhydah with a powerful army. Their defigns had been no fecret, but it was out of the king's power to prevent them: Dabomy was at that time overrun by the Eyoes ox Iaos, and every thing was in confufion : Agaow and the army were at a considerable diftance, engaged with the Ma-bees ; and IVhydah was left almoft defence-lei's, and effectually deprived of any military afliftancc: however,Caukaow* did every thing that could be expected from a brave and loyal foldier : he put his fmall army in rcadi-nefs; Eubiga, the vice-roy, affembled all that were able to bear arms in the town, and joined him; the Xavier Cabocheers, and all * The title of the military officer who commands in Whydah, their dieir vaflals incrcafed his force; but ftill Caukaow was inferior to the enemy : however he was not intimidated, he knew his own heart, and relied on the bravery of his followers. Fear never enters into the mind of a Dahoman -t cowardice is no part of his cornpohtion : he marched out againft the enemy, and met them about a mile to the Aveftward of the French fort. The generals of both parties held a difpaflionate conver-fation at the head of their troops ; in which they declared to each other their refpective determinations, the one to conquer, the other to defend the country : they drank together, and Caukaow toafted health to his king, and fuccefs to his arms; wifhing that if he was unfuccefsful on that day, he might not fur-vive the difgrace, but perifh like the glafs, out of which he had drank, darning it as he fpoke againft the ground, and breaking it in pieces. The battle commenced, and was obftinately fought: all that rude fkill, and ferocious courage could effect, was executed on each fide j at laft Caukaow Fell at the head of his men, after inflicting and receiving innumerable wounds, and diftinguilhed both D 3 as 38 MEMOIRS OF THE REIGN as a general, and a foldier. The firft in rank, were foremoft in danger. Euhiga, and nearly-all the chieftains of his party were among the fiain j and the Xavier Cabocheers lhared the fame fate. The Dahomans, deftitutc of leaders, and overpowered by numbers, were thrown into confufion, and totally routed. The enemy next day pillaged Griwhee, without oppoiition, and burned it; the inhabitants lied out of the country, and left the IVhydahs in peaceable polfeflion. They fummoned the forts to fubmit, or. at leaft to acknowledge the new government: but the governors continued attached to the king, and refufed to accede to the propofals offered by his enemies. The old IVhydahs nocked into the country in great numbers, with their families; and built a town upon Gonnegee, a plain between Griwhee and the river, jufl beyond all annoyance from the guns of the forts. Three tedious months clapfed after the battle, which had been fo fatal to the king's affairs, without his receiving any advices from the governors of the forts ; who began to be fo much in want pf proviuons, that it is probable they could not not have continued much longer, to decline an accommodation with the iVIydahs \ when a meffenger arrived privately from the king, with afiu ranees that they might depend upon being fpecdily relieved % and entreating them to perfevere in his caufe for a few days longer. The meffenger, having given this information, eluded the vigilance of the IVjjydahs, and returned with the fame fecrecy. Ahadee, finding that the forts continued true to his intereft, did not defpair of recovering the country : he had not been idle before in making every provifion that was in his power. ' He recalled Agaow out of Mahee, and, as foon as the Eyoes permitted him, by returning to their own country, he muttered all his Dahomans, and increased his general's army to fifty-thoufand men. This formidable army arrived in Why-dab in ten days after the meffenger had been there. As the Wydahs did not expect, them, they were not prepared for an encounter; they were attacked, defeated, and driven out of the country; by which means the pof-fefiion of it was once more fecurcd to the king, D 4 1-ct 40 MEMOIRS OF the reign Let us ceafe for the prefent attending them through their fubfequent hoitilities, and proceed to relate an aifair of fome moment which followed next in order of time in this country. CHAP. VI. H E kingdom of IVhydah having been *• recovered by this fortunate event, Ahadee appointed a perfon named Tonga, to be Eubiga (or vice-roy) over it, in the place of his predecefTor who had perilhed with Caukaow, in the late bloody conflict with the IVhydahs : he was a man of violent paflions ; vain, proud, and ambitious; he maintained a great number of domeftics and attendants, whom he attached to his perfon by his liberality ; and to his intereft by protecting them in their villainies, and fcreening them fromjuftice in defiance of the king. His oppreflions rendered him odious to the gar-rifons at the forts; and his great influence and and wealth gave no fmall uneafinefs to the king ; who neverthelefs did not care to attack him openly, but waited a lit opportunity to get him into his hands by ftratagem, or furprize. While Ahadee was waiting to accomplifn this purpofe, Tanga was meditating nothing lefs, than the acquilition of Why dab kingdom for himfelf. A daring project, and not juitified by even a plaufible motive ; for, being a eunuch from his infancy, he had no children to be elevated to royal dignity. The poll; which he already poffeffed was a very honorable one, and his opulence fo confidcrable, that it amply afforded him the gratification of every defire, except that of infatiable ambition. His plan was, to gain polfeffion of the Englijh fort, and then to declare himfelf king. The command of any of the forts would have been a confiderable afTiftance to his de-fign; but he preferred this, from an opinion which prevails in the country that it is impregnable. The fpot on which William's Fort* Hands, was formerly dedicated to re- * The Englifo caftle in Whydah is fo called. ligious 42 MEMOIRS OF ?HE REIGN ligious purpofes, and to the exercife of fa~ ered ceremonies: the deities which were formerly worfhipped there, are fuppofed flill to protect it; and, in compliance with the fupcrftition of the natives, the governors permit a houfe within the walls of the fort to be appropriated to Nabbakou, the titular god of the place. It has hitherto been fo fortunate, as to efcape thofe calamities which the other forts have experienced ■ a circumltance, rather extraordinary, as the IVhydah king, when he fled from Xavier, at the time of the Dahomans invafion of his kingdom, took fnelter there; and found protection in it, until there was an opportunity of conveying him in fafety out of the country. This might poflibly have brought upon it, the vengeance of the Dahomans \ however, they did not appear to refent it; though they plundered the French fort at that time, and afterwards that which belonged to the Portuguefc, as we have already related • but the Englijh fort, having met with no fimilar diuiHer, flood high in the opinion of the natives : and Tonga deemed the acquisition cf of it of greater importance to his defigns, than all the others. When Tanga's fcheme was ripe for execution, lie attempted to furprize William's Fort, in Auguji, 1745, in the following manner. Unaer pretence of making a public vilit to the forts, he gave directions that a certain number of his men mould be ready to attend him. When the vice-roy vifits the governors, it is cuftom&ry for him to be accompanied by four or five hundred men, under arms; befides the muficians, flag-bearers, umbrella-carriers, and feveral employed immediately about his perfon; amounting perhaps to one hundred more. Upon the prefent occafion, Tanga, felected all thefe out of his beft men, whom he could rely on, and knew to be devoted to his will; and hoped, that by introducing them, without fufpicion, into the fort as ufual, he mould eafily make himfelf matter of it. Before he departed from his own houfe, he fupplied his men with ammunition, and ordered them to load their mufkets; an order which appeared ft range t(* thofe who were not ap-prifed of his fecrct intentions. The Englifh linguift, Jinguift, who was accidentally prefent, frruck with this circumftancc, flipped away privately, and acquainted Mr. Gregory, the Englifh governor, with what he had feen. Mr. Gregory's fufpicions- were raifed by the information, and he made a proper ufe of it, by providing for the fecurity of his fort, whilft Tonga was paying a vifit to the French governor. Me ordered his guns to be loaded, and the gate fhut, before the vice-roy arrived ; and when he came, refufed to admit him into the fort, unlefs he difmifled his retinue ; Tanga refufed to comply, and protected againft fuch an exception, as an unprecedented indignity, to which it became him not to fubmit: he threatened, and foothed alternately, but to no purpofe; the governor would not recede from his determination j and Tanga, finding it impracticable to introduce his ruffians, returned home extremely chagrined at the difap-pointment. Apprehending from the governor's unufual precaution, that his defigns were difcovcred j he began to fortify his houfe. Ahadee on receiving intelligence of what had palled, declared dared him a traitor, and fet a price upon his head: fome troops were fent to attack him, which he engaged, and defeated ; but more fuccours arriving, they befieged him in his houfe, from whence he made frequent fallies, and fometimes with fuccefs ■ but his ftrength diminifhed daily by the lofs of men in thefe fkirmifhes, and he favv no profpect of extri-cating himfelf. In this dilemma he confult-. ed his priefts ; who, having performed their fuperftitious rites, informed him, That his fafety alone depended upon getting into the Englijb fort; this was no eaiy matter to effect.• he was ciofely befieged by the king's troops, anduponbad terms with the Englijb governor; who, befides abhorring his rebellion, had not forgiven an infult, which he received from him fome months before ; when in company with the other governors, he was going to Abomey, to complain to the king of his viceroy's oppreflivc conduct; Tanga, apprized of their intentions, met them on the road at Ardra, where he feized them g and having kept them for fome days prifoners in the fUble, among his horfes, brought them back with him to IVhydah, fufliciently humbled, and ;*. debarred ■« debarred from all accefs to the king. Under thefe circumftances the only refuge pointed out to him by the priefts (and which they had • probably advifed for this reafon) feemed al-molt unattainable : but his affairs were ■ desperate, and fomething muff be attempted; he harangued his adherents, intrcated their af-fiftance, and diftributed all his treafures among them: his lilks, his coral, his gold, were lavifhed without referve, to animate them on this emergency : his wives (for though an eunuch he had a feraglio of fome hundreds) joined their perfualions, and his people at length worked up to an attachment and refolution worthy of a better occalion, refufed to facrifice him to their own fafety -which they might have obtained by delivering him up: they determined to force their way through the king's troops, conduct, their matter to the Engliih fort, and there recommend him to the governor's mercy. This refolution being adopted, the women, dreading a reverfe of fortune, and defpairing to meet again with fo indulgent a lord, put each other to death : the oldelt firft ilaughtcring the young ones, and then gutting their own throats* throats. This melancholy office being performed, and the houfe fet on fire to deftroy the remaining effects, and prevent their falling into the king's hands j Tanga and his party, with fuch part of his treafurc as was moft portable, tallied forth, and made good their palfage through the king's troops, directing their courfe for the Englifh cattle; from whence they were fired upon, as they* approached, '.and Tanga retreating into the garden, received a mot which ended at once . his life and ambition. Originally, and in his youth, a captive, and a Have, he had the addrefs to recommend himfelf to Abode?*, friendfhip, who raifed him to the higheit rank : but his infolence, which was infup-portable ; and his ingratitude to his benefactor, proved how unworthy he was of the favors he had received. When he fell, his adherents immediately difperfed; fome ef-caped out of the country, but the greater part of them were taken, and fuffered, as they deferved. The affection of Tango's, wives, which impelled them in the defperate crilis of his affairs to devote themfelves to death, may perhaps haps appear romantic, if not incredible* To explain this, it is neceifary to obferve, that Tanga did not guard his women with that jealous eye and {trier, confinement which is ufuai in that part of the world.—The feraglio was only a necefTary appendage to flie pomp and fplendor of his rank ; and out of this refervoir he generoufly fupplied all his fervants with wives. Such unprecedented bounty conciliated the fincercft regard of thefe people. Every young man within his jurifdiction was ambitious of ferv-ing Tanga: to his feraglio he appeared, not the rigid jailer, nor the tyrannic ufurper of the affections;— but the generous arbiter of its Jivelieft pleafures. His women could not but be charmed with a freedom, which no other feraglio enjoyed ; and would not furvive that felicity and protection which was to terminate with the exiftence oj" their maiter, and of their lovers, whofe ruin feemed inevitable. CHAP. CHAP. VII. *ANGA and his followers were not un- * worthy of the fate they met with; and if Ahadee had reftricted his vengeance to thofe who really deferved it, his character would have been lefs exceptionable; few real occanons offered to incur his difplea-fure; fo general was the difpofition among his people to fubmit implicitly to his will, and to applaud all his actions; but through the whole tenor of his reign, every man's fafety was precarious, in proportion to his merit, or wealth: not content with being univerfal heir to their effects, and that every thing his fubjects died poffeffed of belonged to him, the innocent inhabitants of whole villages were fold for Haves, to raife fupplies for his extravagance: and although this grievance was repeated at his plcafure, fuch was their fubmiiuon and attachment, rhat none prefumed to complain. Unrcafonable E fufpicions fufpicions occupied his breaft, fo that they who fervcd him with folicitous fidelity, and became eminent by their exploits, and fuc-cefs, were generally at length the objects of his envy and horror. Among thefe was SbampOf who fignalized himfelf on many oc-cation:;, and held a confidcrable poft in the army : he was the darling of the foldiers, and every tongue was bufy in his praife : fuch merit could not fail to excite a tyrant's jea-loufy. Ahadee from that moment determined to cut him oif. Shampo had a lifter in the king's houfe, who, by fome means, got intimation of the king's defign: flic could have no interview with her brother, for the king's women are forbidden to hold dif-courfe with any man ; but as the was at liberty to fend proviiions for bistable, from the royal manfion, fhe concealed a knife and a cord, with a noofe on the end of it, among the victuals; from which expremve allufiui, her brother was at no lofs to comprehend, that he was doomed to fuffer, either by the cord, or by the fabre. He faved himfelf by a precipitate flight, and carried a confider-able part of the army along with him into the the Popoc country, where he was received in a manner fuitable to his merit. The Popes promoted him to the command of their army : which port he enjoyed to the day of his death in 1767, and bore to the laft an implacable enmity againft the ungrateful Ahadee. Agaow, who had ferved him zealoufly, and executed his orders with great fuccefs, was lefs fortunate, and fell a victim to his cruelty ; the fame Agaow, who had bravely ftormed the Portuguefe fort, who had recovered Why-dab, and taken Boagry: who had in fome meafure reftored the declining glory of the country, and once ftood fo high in the efti-mation of his king, that after beftowing many favors upon him, he was defirous to let the whole world fee how much he honored his favorite Agaow; and actually gave him leave to build a houfe two fortes high ; which, however, the general modeftly declined. Where, the inhabitants are in fuch abject ftavery, that they muft not fit upon a chair, becaufe it'is an indulgence referved for white people, and a few only of the principal men, who enjoy this high privilege, by efpecial E 2 g^cc 52 MEMOIRS OF THE REIOV grace and favor from the king; where none may prefumc, on pain of certain death, to have a door of boards for his houfe, to defend him from the weather; nor to make it decent, by whitewashing the interior part; in fuch a country, to have permifhon to build a convenient houfe, is a mark of extraordinary distinction ; but Agaoxv did not continue long to enjoy his matter's fmiles; he was feized and brought before the king, who accufed him of an intention to withdraw from the kingdom, and following the evil example of Shampo (who had joined the Popoes), to fly into the country of the Mahces. Nothing could be more unjuft than this fufpicion; and Agaozv, with a becoming ftrmnefs, replied, it is faid, to this effect: " I have ma-" nifefted my zeal on various occasions for " your fervice; and thought no march fa-" tiguing, no battle hazardous, whiltt execut-" ingyour will; my actions, Co often crowned « with fuccefs, have added affluence and honor «• to your kingdom. What part of my conduct ** has cxpofed me to this accufation ? You " have, as pledges of the fidelity of your Have, ** my aged mother, my wives and my children «* in Or BOSSA AHADEE. 53 " in your hands. Where, or to whom in pre-" ference mould I go ? I have conducted your " armies, and fpread deft-ruction through ail " the nations around us: is it probable I r< fhould throw myfelf into the arms of thofe " who tremble at my name? Of thofe, whofe " country I have laid wafte, and led the inha-" bitants captive, in triumph to your gate?" The king delired him to acknowledge himfelf guilty, and truft to his royal clemency; Agaow refufed to atteft a fahhood, and was ordered to immediate execution. The perfon whofe bulinefs it was to perform this horrid duty, though hackneyed in deeds of death, was too much fhocked on this occasion, to acquit himfelf with propriety ; the fcimitar failed, in his hand, to perforin the office of beheading, it only mangled, the unhappy victim. He was fent back to prifon, and Strangled there. The family of this brave man are now fo much reduced, that his eldest fon was glad to find employment as a fervant in my factory. CHAP. 54 MEMOIRS OF THE REIGN C H A P. VIIL TUHWhydahs, amfted by the Popoes>zxi& directed by the fagacious advice of ohampo, became more formidable than ever: they vifited the Whydah Beach, and gave frequent interruptions to trade. In difput-ing the poffefTion of Whydah Beach, the Da^ bcmans were often very roughly handled, and as often returned unfuccefsful: they had loft numbers of their men in'thefe lkirmi'fhcs; when their priefts at laft difcovered, that their oracles had forbidden them to attack the enemy on the Beach, but had ordered that they fhould wait in readinefs, between Griwhee and the river; and that the party which fhould firft crofs the river, and.begin the attack, fhould infallibly be routed. This was no unwelcome difcovcrj*, becaufe it afi forded a Jahvo for their honor, and an apology for fubmitting to infults, which they were too weak to refent. pH The ■ The king at 1 aft took the refolution of making a powerful .effort, to reitrain thefe people; ancl in . 1753, Tome time after the taking of Boagrv, when a kind of truce with the - Mahees afforded him fome leifure, he lent a numerous army againft them. " They were provided with fome canoes; arid feized Others belonging to-the enemy,; which enabled thcnr to penetrate into their country* but h was.a, mode of warfare which' they did nd'rf welt.iunderfland. Xhcwpo, who commanded the confederated ■fVbjdtfbsKfid fo. poes,' by pretending, to [jBjfJ • Iencouraged the fo{bmam:ta:z&vamevdegrees they were bewildered among fwamps,. rivers andmarlh-e~>, in a wretched country^ where provifmns began to fail them t however,'they puttied boldly forward, hoping to bring the ert&hly to an engagement ; but Sbampo outwkied them * vand,< by the;, doxterity of his I manoeuvres, he drew therri on to that narrow dip of'barren fand, which reaches nearly from Vo/ta to Benin, and is from half a mile to three miles in breadth, between the fea and a river,'which runs: nearly parallel to the Beach, for about two hundred miles: li 4 here 56 - \fEMOIRS OF THE REIGN here the retreat of the Dahomans was effectually cut off, and the Popes employed themfelves in firing at them at their Itifure, from their. canoes; but the greater part perifhed by difeafe, and famine. They were fo numerous (fay the, Popoes, who perhaps may exaggerate) that the fifh of the river, afiifted by the beafrs, and birds of prey, were not able to eat them all; but their putrid carcaffes corrupted the air, and occasioned a peftilence in the country. The whole army was loll here, except twenty-four, whom Shampo fent back, to acquaint Ahadee with the fate of their companions : when they had told their fad tale, Ahadee ordered thet%_ to immediate execution, bidding them go exprefs to the fhades, to inform their comrades how much he difapproved their conduct in the war! The next affair of any confequencc that occurred was in 1763, when the old IVhydahs and Popes, in their turn, invaded IVhydah : Shampo himfelf, was too old and infirm to take the field with them, but his fon commanded; and was accompanied by the whole flower of the Popoe chiefs: they advanced into into the country without oppofition, for old Honmut who was then Eubiga, or vice-roy, would not venture out to rilk a battle, but remained in Griwbee with his men, to defend the town. The Popoes were advancing to attack it before he ventured to engage them: he was wounded and carried off the field early in the fight, and the command devolved on Baddely, who made a gallant defence, but was obliged to yield to the fuperior force of the enemy; and retreated with his men towards the French fort, in expectation of being protected by their guns; but he was disappointed: though the king's honor, and the fafcty of the country were at flake, though the enemy had begun to fet the fub-urbs on fire, the French fired nothing but powder at them. This neutrality, if it de-ferved the name, however politic it might be, was certainly not very grateful; for if the manner in which the king ufually treated his own people were never fo exceptionable, yet the whites had nothing to reproach him with, in his conduct towards them. He was always refpectful, and generous to a degree of profufion: in all difputes between them, ^8 MEMOIRS: OF -TKE REIGN them, and his fubjects, if they had but the color cf juflice on their fide/1 he .determined in their favor: and the complaifance, civility and refpect, with which they are uni-verfally received in his dominions, are greatly owing to his own confpicuous example. The Popoes, animated by the conduct of the French, advanced boldly : Fort, to the mutual advantage of both parties : who after forty years of war, now enjoy the profits and pleafures of undisturbed commerce and focial intcrcoufe. This able governor beftows fo much attention on this affair, and is fo circumfpcct on the tranfac-tions of both parties, by whom he is equally refpected, and acknowledged to be an impartial umpire between them; that whilst he continues to fuperintend them, a firm peace may probably continue. Ahadee worn out with years and infirmities, engaged in nothing worth relating after this. He died on the 17th of May, 1774 ; and was fucceeded by Adaunzou II. the prefent king. A JOURNEY A JOURNEY TO THE COURT OF B 0 S S A AHADEE, KING of D A H O M Y, In the Year 1772. JXTHYDAH, once a flourifhing and in. dcpent kingdom, but now a maritime province of the Dahoman empire, is fituated to the eastward of the Gold CoaJI; between the rivers Volt a, and Benin. The road in which mips that trade there anchor, is in 6 cleg. 27 min. north latitude. Landing is always difficult and dangerous, and frequently impracticable for fevcral weeks together, from the violence of the breakers on the the more • and can only be effected in canoes, which the mips take with them from the Gold Coaft: they are manned with fifteen or Seventeen Fantees each, hired from Cape Coaft or El Mi>?a; hardy, active men, who undertake this bufincfs, and return in their canoe to their own country, when the captain, in whofe employ they fcrve, has fmilhcd his trade. Grigue or Griwhee, the capital of this province, fituated on a fandy plain, about three miles from the fea, is a large, straggling town, which contains about eight thoufand inhabitants. It is the residence of the viceroy, who is amfted in his command by two other Cabocheers, and a military officer of high rank. The Englifh, French, and Por-tuguefe have each a fort here, and fcveral commodious factories, for the accommodation of captains of trading mips, who pur-chafe here between five and fix thoufand flaves annually. My bufmefs requiring an interview with the king, I applied to the vice-roy for the ne-ccfTary attendants, and was furnifhed by him with a linguist, fix hammoc men, ten porters, and and a captain of the gang ; who was rcfpon-lible for the conduct of the others : my own Servants, and a few others attending on the captain, who were armed, made up our number thirty. The porters, having each received their Several loads, which confuted, belides a mat-trefs, a Small trunk of wearing apparel, and Some provisions and liquors for myfelf, of a cafe or two of fpirits which I provided for their own ufe, fome bags of cowrie fhells (the current money of the country), for defraying our cxpenccs, and a few pieces of lilk for prefents, let off by day light; and 1 got into my hammoc, and commenced my journey to Abomey at iix in the morning of lelruary 1, J772. In pafTing by the market place, I found a great number of people collected there, and obferving fome large umbrellas among them, I concluded that the vicc-roy and his Cabo-cheers were of the party: Surprized at this early alfembly, 1 lent a tenant to inquire the occalion of it; but before he could return, a nullenger from the vice-roy, who had discovered my approach, accosted me with a mcflage meffage from his matter, requeuing to fpeak to me before my departure. I found him pairing fentence of death on a criminal, a middle aged woman, who was on her knees before him, in the midft of a circle formed by his attendants. I requefted her life might be fpared ; and, from the circumstance of his having fent for me, flattered myfelf that my offer to purchafe her for a flave, would be accepted j but I was difappointed: he told me the king himfelf had confidered the offence, and decreed the fentence ; which was, * that her head mould be cut off, and fixed " upon a Stake" which was lying by her, and which fhe had been compelled to bring with her, from Abomey, for that purpofe. During this converfation a little girl, prompted by curiosity, and ignorant of what was doing, made her way through the crowd ; and difcovering her mother, ran to her with joy to congratulate her on her return. The poor woman, after a more embrace, faid, " Go away, child, this is no place for you," and fhe was immediately conveyed away. The vice-roy proceeded in his fentence, which the poor wretch heard with feeming indifference. ividifference, picking her teeth with a ftraw Which (lie took up from the ground. When the vice-roy concluded his charge to the Spectators, of obedience, fubmiihon and orderly behavior, which the king required from all his people ; the delinquent received a blow on the back of her head, with a bludgeon from one of the executioners, which levelled her to the ground; and another fevered it from the body, with a cutlafs. The head was then fixed on a pole in the market place, and the body was immediately carried to the outiide of the town, and left there to be devoured by wild beans. The perfon that was executed was one of thofe who kept a little {hop in the market; and a few days before, on difcovering that fome trifle had been Itolcn from her, lhe took from the fire a fmall (tick, one end of which was burning, and waving it over her head (a ufual cuftom in the country) exclaimed aloud «* Whoever has taken my property, if ij>. each each with a blunderbufs, where he danced fome time, to convince his fubjects of his health and activity, to their inexpreflible joy and fatisfacTion; which they manifested in the loudelt acclamations. He then teltified his approbation of the performance of his muficians, by rewarding them with eighty ounces * of cowries, which were brought in by three hundred and twenty of his wives, each carrying a cabefs, or four thoufand of them in a brafs pan, which they distributed to the drummers, who departed, highly fa-tisficd; and I alfo took my leave and withdrew. February 8. On my arrival this morning at Qringomy houfe, I found a vaft con-courfeof people alfembled. I was received by Mayhou, who conducted me into a fpa~ cious parade; on each fide of the entrance, xverc three human heads that -had been cut off the night before; and in the centre was erected a lofty tent, Shaped like a fugar loaf, about fifty feet high and forty feet wide; it was open below, and rcfted on a circular * An ounce is about forty-five pounds. range range of fmall iron rails, through which the king could have a view of what palled in the parade. He foon made his appearance, and featcd himfelf (amidtt the moots and acclamations of the people) under his tent, on an elegant armed chair, covered with crimfon velvet, and ornamented with carving and gilding. I was placed under the fhade of a large umbrella, the Mallays on my right, and about thirty eunuchs, with each a bright iron rod in their hands, and dreffed like women, on my left hand: after the mufic had played about half an hour, with the confuted noife of which, and the fhouts and fongs of the multitude, I was almost ftunned: a droll Harlequin entertained the king with an odd fort of dance, and fired occasionally a blunderbufs with five barrels, which gave the king fo much Satisfaction, that he fent him five cabejs of cowries. The . proceflion then began with a guard of an hundred and twenty men, carrying blundcrbuffes, who marched out two a-breaft: next, fifteen of the king's daughters, fine comely women in the bloom of life, attended tended by fifty female (laves: after them marched in regular order, one by one, feven hundred and thirty of his wives, bearing provisions and liquors for an entertainment in the market place: thefe were followed by a guard of ninety women under arms, with drums beating. A table was then laid, and I breakfasted, whilft the proccslion continued: fix troops advanced, of feventy women each; a diftinguifhed favorite walked under an umbrella at the head of each. She who led the van was fo univerfally refpeeted, as to be too facred to be feen ; in fact, they fecured her effectually from my fight with the umbrella, and certain long targets of leather, covered with red and blue taffata, with which they encompaffed her: in the last troop were two -umbrellas, and four favorites, very fine women, who were faid to be in higher efteem with the king than any, except the lady before mentioned. All thefe entertained the king with their fongs and dances as they palled ; and the favorites went into the tent to pay their refpects, and received considerable prefents of cowries from him. They were fucceeded by ten bands of his his younger children, fifteen in each, from about feven to fifteen years old, each band confifling of thofe that were nearly of the lame age and fize. Seven troops of fifty women each followed next, each troop preceded by two Englifh flags : thefe, like the former, amufed his Majefty with their fongs and droll dances: four of them particularly engaged my attention: their drefs was too extravagant to be defcribedj and each had a long tail fixed to her rump, which fecmcd to be a flip of leopard's fkin, fewed up and fluffed; which, by a dexterous wriggle of their hips they whirled round with furprifing velocity, like a fling. Thefe likewife had a fhare of their mailer's bounty, and marched off loaden with cowries. Befidcs thefe, there were fifty or fixty women employed about his perfon, going on mcilagcs, and diflribut-ingprefents, which he dealt about him with 3 liberal hand. When the women had marched out, the eunuchs began their fongs in theking'spraife; enumerating his titles, and proclaiming his grandeur and actions, in terms of the mofl iulfomc adulation: which continued until the the women had made the necellary preparations for him in the market place : then the king retired, and the proceflion began in the following order. Firft, two coaches drawn by twelve men each ; next, the fedan chair ; and then three hammocs fcrecned from the fun by large fumptuous umbrellas of gold and lilver tiffue, and covered with canopies of the fame. Each of thefe was furrounded by a very (trong guard; and the king was in one of them, but whether in coach, chair, or hammoc, would have been prefumptuous, even criminal, for any of the attendants to venture to guefs. My hammoc followed, and then five other hammocs, belonging to the great officers of the Hate, accompanied by an immenfe crowd of attendants and fpec-tators. We proceeded through Ajawhee market, directly under five gibbets, with a man hanging to each, as defcribed before, who had been murdered in the preceding night for that purpofe. We then entered a large parade, inclofed with different kinds of cloth, extended on rails, to keep off the populace; adjoining one end of it was a higher inclofure of liner cloth for the king. None None came into the large,parade but Tame-gab, Maybou, Eubigab, Agaow, and Jabou, and their attendants, except myfelf, and fervants; and here I fat down to a dinner which would have ferved an hundred more. After I had dined, Tamegab,fkc. attacked the remainder ; and the crowd without were fo well fupplied with victuals, and brandy, that every one of them was fully fatisfied: in the evening I had permiffion to vifit the king, and having palfed half an hour with him, returned to my quarters fufficiently tired with the noife and fatigue of the day. On my way I palfed by the place where I had feen the feven men and the like number of horfes tycd two days before: they were now gone, and I was told were murdered on the preceding night; but that thofe upon the gibbets, and the heads in the king's houfe, were none of them. Nothing material occurred on the three enfuing days, which I employed in pur-chafing fome Haves and ivory ; but on the 12th I was fummoncd again to court, to attend another feftival: only four human heads Were placed at the king's door upon this oc-cafion. The dances and the procc'llion were nearly nearly the fame as before, except that' the! dreffes and ornaments of the women were much more ihowy : the variety, and abundance of rich filks, filvcr bracelets, and other ^ ornaments, coral, and a profufion of other valuable beads, exceeded my expectation ; betides, there was added another troop of forty women, with filver helmets, and there was a difplay of the king's furniture and trinkets, moil of the women carrying fomcthing or other of his j fome of them fine fwords ; others filver-mounted guns; above a hundred of them held either gold, or filver-hcaded canes, in their hands ; and that none might be unprovided, fome carried a candle-flick, and others a lamp, perhaps fifty at leaf! of each, with many other articles; which were all held up for the gaping multitude to admire. We dined, as before, in the market place; and in the evening, when I went to wait on the king, a female dwarf was introduced to dance before him, in which flic acquitted herfelf very well: flic fcemed to be about thifrty years old, and meafurcd only two feet feven inches high, was without any deformity, and tolerably well fhaped. During During this day's amufements, we were-vifited by an Harmaiian wind, which if dc-feribed fcientifically, would furnifha curious chapter in the hiftory of winds: leaving that tafk to thofe who are more equal to it, I mall only endeavor to give fome idea of its mod li ri k i n g phenomena. On that part of the coaft of Africa which extends from Cape Vera1 to Cape Lopez, there are, in the months of December, January, and February, frequent returns of a wind, from the north eaff, which is known by the name of the Harmatian wind. It, probably, ma) be felt further to the fouthward than Cape Lopez, but I cannot fpeak of what occurs in countries which I have not vifited. It comes on indifcriminately at any hour of the day or night j at any time of the tide; or at any period of the moon's age ; and continues a day or two ; fometimes, five or fix ; once I knew it to continue a fortnight; and there arc generally three or four returns of it every fcafon. It never rains in an Har-mattan; but it fometimes immediately fuc-ceeds a fhower. It blows with moderate force ; not quite fo ftrong as the fea breeze I which 114 a journey to i HE court which in the fair or dry feafon fets from the weft, wefl-fouth-w'eft, and fouth-weft ; bur fomething ftronger than the land wind which blows at night from the north, and north-north-weft. This wind is always accorppanied with an unufual gloominefs, and hazinefs of the at-mofphcre ; very few ftars can be feen through the fog; and the fun, concealed the greatelt part of the day, appears only for a few hours about noon, and then of a mild red, exciting no painful fenfation in the eye. No dew is perceived during the continuance of this wind ; nor is there the leaf! appearance of any moifture in the atmofphere, SMt of Tartar, diffolved in water, fo as to run upon a tile, and expofed to the Harmattant even in the night, becomes perfectly dry again in a few hours. Vegetables, of every ^d, fuffer confiderably from it: all tender plants, and feeds juft fprouting above the earth, are killed by it: the mod flourifhing cver-gi-eens feel its baneful influence; the branches of the lemon, orange, and lime trees droop; thw; leaves become flaccid, and wither; and their fruits, robbed of their ufual OF BOSS A AHABEg. i 1$ ulual nourifhment, arc cramped in their growth, and ripen, or rather appear yellow, and become dry, before they have arrived at half their ufual size. Every thing appears dull and faded : the grafs withers, and dries like hay ; of which circumilancc the natives avail thcmfelves, to burn it down in the vicinity of the roads ; as well to keep them open, as to deftroy the inciter which it affords to wild beafts, or even to enemies that might lurk concealed in it. The covers of -books, {hut up ciofcly in a trunk, and protected by lying among clothes, bend back as if they had been expofed to a fire ; the pan-nels of doors, window mutters, &c. iplit; and th» joints of a well-laid floor, of feafoned wood, will gape fo wide, that one may Jay his finger in them : the fides, and decks of fhips, become quite open and leaky ; and veneered work flies to pieces, from the contraction of the wood in different directions. If cafks containing liquor, as wine, or fpirits, are not frequently wetted on the outi'ide, they generally iofc their contents. The air becomes considerably cooler in m Harmatlwi : and the thermometer (Faren- 12 Wt) keifs) is generally ten or twelve degrees below the common Standard. The natives complain much of the feverity of the weather on thefe occafions, and clothe themfelves in their warmest apparel, to guard against it; though that alteration is highly grateful to the Europeans resident in the country, yet they alfo feel many inconveniencies, in common with the Blacks: for the eyes, noftrils, lips and palate become difagreeabiy dry and uneafy: there is a necessity and inclination to drink often \ not fo much to quench thirst, as to remove a painful aridity in the fauces : the lips and nofe become chapped and fore; and though the air is cool, there is a difagreeable fenfation of prickling heat upon the fkin, as if it had been warned with fpirirs of hartfhorn or ftrong lye. If this wind continues five or fix days, the fcarf fkin generally peels off from the hands and face, and even from the reft of the body, if the llarmattan continues a few days longer. Perforation is considerably fupprelfed j but when fweat is excited by exercifc, I have found it peculiarly acrid ; tafting like fpirits of wine diluted with water. So So far its effects on the animal and vege-» table world are very difagreeable, but it is alfo productive of fome good. The ftate of the air is extremely conducive to health : it contributes furprifingly to the cure of old ulcers and cutaneous eruptions: pcrfons labouring under fluxes and intermitting fevers, generally recover in an Harmattan ; and they who have been weakened and relaxed by fevers, and finking under evacuations for the cure of them, particularly bleeping, (which is often injudicioufly repeated) have their lives laved, in fpite of the doctor. It flops the progrefs of epidemic difeafes: the fmall pox, fluxes, and remittent fevers not only dif-appear, but they who are labouring under thefe diforders when an Harmattan comes on, are almoft fure of a fpcedy recovery. Infection is not then eafily communicated. In the year 1770, I had above three hundred flaves on board a fhip in Whydah Road, when the fmall pox appeared among them; the greater part of thefe were inoculated, before an Harmattan came on • and about {eventy of them underwent that operation a few days after it fet in: the former got very well 13 through il& A journey TCf the COUftT . through the di'fordcr: none of the latter had either any ficknefs or eruption: we thought we had got clear of the diforder, but in a very few weeks it began to appear among thefe feventy: about fifty of them were inoculated the fecond time; the others had it in the natural way: an Harmattan came on, and they ail recovered, except one girl, who had a malignant ulcer on the inoculated fpot, and died fometime afterwards of a locked jaw. Thefe falutary effects may probably be-not univcrial, efpecially where the Harmattan may conic laden with the noifome effluvia of a putrid fvvamp, which is not the cafe in ibis part of the country, I am iorry to be obliged to diflent from fuch refpedtable authority as that of Dr. /.///,/, to whofe labors we are fo much indebted, for his valuable directions for preferving the health of feamen. I prefume, his account oi the Harmattan is derived from information, and not from his own obfervations, which are univerfally fo juft: had he experienced it in perfon, he could not have called it " fatal and malignant;" and that " its ? noxious vapour was destructive to Blacks " as w as well as Whites" or that " the mortality kf which it occafioned was in proportion to " the denlity and duration of the fog." He fecms to confound the Jalubrily of the Harmattan, with thofe baneful effects to the constitution that follow the commencement of the periodical rains in April and May. Thefe rains arc ulhered in by hard gufts of wind, from the north east, and eait-north-eaft, called Tornadoes (from a corruption of the Portuguefe word Trovoada, a thunder-itorm) which occur ufually on the full and change of the moort, about the latter end of March, and in the months before mentioned : they are accompanied by fevere thunder and lightning, and a very heavy mower of two or three hours continuance, which foftens the furface of the earth, that had been parched up by the preceding Har-mattans, and a fuccelhon of fix or eight months dry weather in that burning climate, and gives an opportunity for the collected, stagnating and putrid vapors, confined under its arid furface, to rife and efcape : thefe, volatilized by the folar heat, which beams forth with redoubled heat when the Tornado is I 4 over, over, Strike the nofrrils with the moft often-live flench imaginable, and occafion many bilious vomitings, fluxes, remittent and putrid fevers of the worft kind. Befides thefe, which are annual, there feems to be a collection of peftiferous vapor, which remains iinprifoned for a longer period, and does not emerge above the furface oftner than once in five, fix or feven years. The periods which I recoiled to have been moft fatal were in 1755 or 1756, when Governor Melville and moft of the gentlemen and garrifon of Cape Coajl died ; and in 1763 and 1769 *« The mortality in fame of thefe years (for they were not all equally fatal to the European fettlcrs) was fo great, that, as Dr. Lindfays, " The living were fcarce fufficient to re-11 move, and bury the dead." The fig which accompanies the Harmattan is occasioned by an infinite number of fmall particles floating in the air: they are fo minute as to efcape the touch, and elude every inveiiigation that I could devife: I could not fucceed in attempting to examine them * The year 1775 was alfo fatal to many. by the microfcope, though a part of them are depoiited upon the grafs, leaves of trees, and even upon the ikin of the Negroes, and make them appear whitiih, ©r rather grcyifh. Thefe particles do not fly far over the furface of the fea: the fog is not fo thick on board the fhips in IVhydah Road, at two or three miles distance from the Shore, as it is on the Beach; and in proportion to the distance from the fliore, the fog de-creafes: at four or live leagues distance from it the fog is entirely loft, though the wind is felt ten or twelve leagues off. Upon a careful inquiry concerning the face of the country, I learn, that except a few rivers, and fome fvvamps and lakes of no considerable extent, the country behind tt'ly-dab, for four hundred miles back, is covered with verdure, open plains of grafs, with fome clumps of trees, and fome woods or forests* It rifes with a gentle and gradual afcent, for about an hundred and fifty miles from the fea, before, there is the appearance of a hill; and behind thofe hills I do not hear of any remarkable ranges of mountains. The furface is generally a loofe fandy foil, foil; below that a rich reddifh earth, and not a Stone to be found in it of thefize of a walnut. I hear of no barren tracks of arid fand from whence thofe particles are likely to be detached by the Harmattan. Dr. Lind writes, that " The Harmattan is faid to arife from M the conflux of feveral rivers about Benin:" but here, at Abomey, I felt it blowing from the north-eaft, Stronger than I ufually have clfewhere, and Benin bore from me, fouth-eaft; therefore the Harmattan was not likely to originate there. On the Gold Coajl, it generally blows from the fouth-ealt; at the Jjles de Los, a little to the northward of Sierra Leone, from the ealt-ibuth-eaft; and at the river Gabon near Cape Lopez, from the north-north-cait. The intcrfection of thefe points, or (what I would prefer) an eajl line drawn from Cape Verd, cut by a north-eaft one from the centre of the Gold Coajl; and a north line from Cape Lopez, would, 1 think, point out a probable fource for this extraordinary wind: but this is mere conjecture of my own. As the bulincfs which brought me to Abomey, and refpecled abufes praetifed by the carriers of goods, who in bringing them from CJt B02SA ahadee. 123 from the beach to the factories in Griwbee, pilfered considerable quantities of them, was in fome meafure eifce'tcd, by the king's promising that he ihouid take proper meafures to prevent the like in future, I was now de-iirous to return j and acquainting the king •with my intention to do fo, as foou as the Harmattan fhould ceafc, took my leave of him. It continued blowing frefh for two days longer, which detained me, as the weather was too difagreeable for travelling. In the interim, a part of Dabomy houfe took fire, which greatly endangered the whole of it. As foon as the hurry occafioned by it was over, I was induced to wait again upon the king on this occalion, as a mark of refpect. I obferved, as I expected, much confulion and diforder in the houfe; Several heads had been cut off, and lay fcattered about to the number of twenty at leaft; and I found the king much irritated againll his women ; who were accusing each other of careleffnefs, and each endeavouring to remove the blame of it from herfelf. It probably was not eafy to afcer-tam how the accident happened: and the king finding the invertigation difficult, and hi* his difpleafure being perhaps Somewhat ap-peafed by the lives which he had taken away in the first impulfc of his anger, he fettled the bufinefs, by feleeting nineteen of them whofe refidence was in the quarter where the fire broke out, and fold them to me for flaves. On the third day, the Harmattan ceafed, and I prepared for my departure; previous to which, the king fent me a fat Iheep, an anchor of brandy, and live cabefs of cowries, towards defraying my expences on the road; and a prefent alfo, of a fine Striped cotton cloth, and a handfome female Slave. I mould have fet off on my return to Whydah early in the morning of the 16th of February, which was the laft day of the Annual Cujloms, on which the king diftributes a profufion of prefents among his people ; but I was prevailed upon to remain till evening, at the requett of my attendants, who hoped to pick up fomething in the fcramble of the day. On this occasion, a large Stage is erected near one of the palace gates, adorned with flags and umbrellas, and furrounded with a fence of thorns, to keep off the rabble j on this this arc piled heaps of filefias, checks, calli-coes, and a variety of other European and Indian goods; a great many fine cotton cloths that are manufactured in the Eyo country \ and a prodigious quantity ©f cowries. When all is ready, the king comes upon the ftage, accompanied by any of the governors, or captains of (hips, that may be there, and attended by Tamegah, Mayhou, and a few others of his head men \ to each of thefe he gives, according to their rank, the choice of an Eyo cloth, and a firing of coral beads ; his fubordinate officers are then called over from among the crowd below, and receive each a piece of cloth, and fome eozvries, as a mark of their matter's approbation and regard. The king then throws a bunch of cowries with his own hands among the crowd; on which, his women begin to fling the remainder of the goods indifcrimi-nately among the multitude; in which the white men, if they pleafe, and Tamegah and his companions affift; and finally, as fome cruelty muft accompany all their exhibitions, a man tied neck and heels, an alligator muzzled, and a couple of pigeons, with their wmgs wings clipped, are thrown off the flagc among the crowd, where a confuiion, greater if poflible than what has preceded, enfues, in fcramblirjg for the heads of each, to the great amufemenn of the king; and whoever are lucky enough to carry off the prizes, which confilt of the heads of the victims, are each rewarded with a handfome prefent. This is the laft human facrifice at the Cuftoms, and is a part of the ceremony which the Whites never ftay to fee performed; but, if report may be credited, the carcafe of the human victim is almoft wholly devoured, as all the mob below will have a tafte of it. I reached Agrimee, on the borders of the wood, that night; and, altera few hours reft, rofe before day to get through this fatiguing part of the journey before the heat of the morning, and did not halt until I got to my old friend Jabrakou at IVhybow; with whom I fpent that day, and a great part of the next: but could not ftay to accompany him on a great buffalo hunt, for which he was preparing. I arrived at Ardra on the evening of the 17th of February, where an occurrence happened that might have terminated worfe for for us th9.11 it did. I had my hammoc flung in the white men's apartment, adjoining Mayhou9& houfe; and the weather being very warm, the hammoc men, porters, &c. cjiofc to fpread their mats, and lie in the piazza, and in the little court before it, in the open air: when we were ail afleep, except the captain of the gang, who after taking a nap was regaling himfelf with a pipe, a leopard leaped over the wall, walked over thofe who were Jleeping in the court, and, without hurting them, feized upon the fat ihecp which the king had given me, that was tyed in a corner of the yard ; and carried it off with him in an inffant, over a wall eight feet high, before the man who faw him had time to get a fhot at him. The next day, February 18, 1772, I returned fafe to my factory; and here my narrative fhould conclude, but I am tempted to wafte fome additional pages, in relating a few circumftances that occurred in my fub-fequent journijps to Dabomy. I had occafion to vifit Abomey ^g^m in December 1773:, the king was then1 infirm, and finking undn years, as well as difcafc: he was confined to his his room, but would fee me ; which gave rne an opportunity of infpecting his private apartment. He had a neat detached room for .fleeping in, which was feparated from the court, in which it (food, by a wall about brealf high, the top of which was ftuck full of human lower-jaw bones; and the little area within ir, was paved with (hulls, which, I underltood, were thofe of neighbouring kings, and other pcrfons of eminence and distinction, whom he had taken prifoners in the courfc of his wars j and had been placed there, that he might enjoy the favage gratification of trampling on the heads of his enemies, when he pleated. He did not long furvive this interview, but lingered on to the 17th of May 1 774, when he died aged about feventy years; of w hich he had reigned about forty; and was fucceeded by his fon Adaunzou. A horrid fcene commences in the palace, the moment the king expires; which continues until Tamegah and Mayhou have announced that event to his fucceifor, and till he takes pofleffion of it: this he lofes no time in doing, that he may put an end to the mif-r chief chief going on there. The wives of the deceafed begin, with breaking and destroying the furniture of the houfe, the gold and Silver ornaments and utensils, the coral, and in Short, every thing of value that belonged either to themfelves, or to the late king, and then murder one another. * K Adaunzou, * Bo/man, an author of eftablimcd credit, Speaking of the cuftoms at Whydah, prior to its conqueft, relates, that " upon the death of the king of that country; and as foon *' as it was publicly known, every perfon fell to Healing as " much as he could of his neighbour's.goods, without be- ing liable to any punifhment. This fcene of rapine and " confufmi continued till a »w lirtgw&s confirmed on the " throne j who, by public proclamation, forbad it, and ** was inftantly, and ftriftly obeyed." He adds, •* that " the ficccffion to the crown feemed to depend on the great " officers, and their adherents; fo that the younger brother ** was frequently elevated to that rank, in exclufion of the " eldeft." The temporary anarchy and tumult ufual in thefe countries whenever the throne became vacant by the death of the fovereign, may poffibly have originated (as I have already hinted in a preceding note) in a defign either to accelerate the choice of a fucceffor, in order by that means to prevent a civil war; or, to confirm the popular attachment to a monarchical form of government, by dif-gulting them with the turbulence and Hcentioufnefs incident to a democracy. But this is merely matter of conjee- Adaunzou, upon being nominated king, haftencd with his retinue to the palace gate, which he broke down, and taking pofTeifion of it, put a ftop to the carnage ; but, before he could accomplifh this, a great part of the furniture, Sec. was destroyed, and two hundred and eighty five of the women had been murdered. The fedan chair, however, remained entire, and Ahadee was interred in it, accompanied, it is faid, by fix of his wives, who were buried alive with him, as were alfo all thofe who had been killed in the affray. The new king inherited his father's pro-penfity for war, and an opportunity foon offered for gratifying this paffion. In the autumn of 1774, the king of the exiled Whydahs, who had fled from their country on the Daho-man conquest, died. Thefe people occupy k fmall, fwampy territory, between IVhydah and Popoe j and live in amity with the latter, who alfift them in their incurfions and depredations on the former. The Dahomans turc;, and, after all, might be no more, than would probably happen, upon foiling any other flaves loofe for a while from the awe ol a coutrouling and defputic power, and during its uifpeiuion. never never fail to take fome advantage of any dii-fentions that happen among thefe people ; and one now occurred on the death of their king; for there were two competitors for the government: Abavou (or the Szvajnp-Dog), who was fon to him who killed his own brother at Xavier, and ate his heart, as related in Ahadee's Memoirs and another, who was equally related to the deceafed, named Eyee (or the Monkey). The former had the moft numerous adherents, and drove his rival out of the country; Adaunzou determined to fup-port his pretenfions, without being at the trouble of inquiring into the merits of them, and fent an army to his aftiftance. Abavou, and his party, were obliged to fly in their turn. The Dahomans drove thern off the mAin land in the firft campaign, and compelled them to take refuge on an ifland called Foudou-Cong, or FeteeJJj-IjJand, which is in a lagoon, or broad expanfe of water, formed by a river in that country. There they remained inaccemble during the periodical rains, becaufe the Dahomans had no canoes, and indeed know nothing of the management oi them : bup as foon as the waters fubfided, K 2 they *32 a jodrnev T0 TiIr COURT rhey began an arduous undertaking ; the army was reinforced with a prodigious number of men ; they cut down the trees on each fide of the lagoon, of which they made piles, and carried on a bridge, or caufeway, on both fidesy directly to the ifland ; and after a bloody conflict, in which many lives were loft, they carried it. Ahavou and his party retreated upon the lagoon in about eight hundred canoes, which they had with them ; but their efcapc was prevented by the Dahomans having previoufly piled the river acrofs, a few miles below, where it was narrow, and by keeping poffef-lion of both fhores. The IVhydahs remained in this diftrefTing Situation for fome months* without any other fubfiftence than what they derived from the fifh in the river; or by landing occasionally in force, and beating up fome of the Dahomans in their quarters, where the affailants fometimes found a fmall fupply of provifions. At faff, Ahavou, feeing his people worn out with famine and fatigue, and no profpecr. of extricating them from their difficulties, re-folvcd to furrender himfelf. He thanked his follow ess- followers for their fervices, and told them, that the only return he could now make for their attachment and fidelity, was to deliver himfelf up, and endeavour to prevail on Adaunzou to accept his life, as a peace-offering for their fafety : with this determination he came on fhorc, and was fent by Agaow (the Dahoman general} to the king, who ordered his head to be cut off. His adherents fubmitted pnfoners at difcretion, to be dif-pofed of as the king plcafed. Although this tranfaclion paffed within a few miles of IVhydah, and we could not fail of knowing every ftage of it, for in fact there was nothing elfe to attend to (as trade is entirely fufpeuded whiljl the country is at zvar) yet Adaunzou, to gratify his own vanity, fent his half-heads to announce his victory to the governors of the forts there, and fignified his with, that they mould teftify their joy at the event, which was complied with, by firing a royal falute at each or the forts, and by every ftiip in the road. Soon after this, he thought fit to fend a meffenger to acquaint me, that he wifhed to ice me, and I waited on him towards the end K 3 of of December 1775. At our firft interview, he afked me if I had ever feen Abavou ? on replying that I had not, he added, " Then ** you'fhall now." I knew Abavou had been dead a month at leait, and had no curiofity to fee his remains ; but did not think it advife-able to oppofe the king's intention. Some women, to whom he gave directions about it, foon returned from an inner apartment of the palace, carrying a wide, mallow, brafs veifel, that contained a large bundle, much bigger than a bee-hive, which was ornamented with two fmall filk flags, each about the fize of a handkerchief. This bundle was compofed of various folds of cloth, the uppermost of cotton \ within them were feveral iilk wrappers, which being removed, Abavou^ head made its appearance, lying in a china bafon. It was in perfect: prefervation, as dry as an Egyptian mummy, and the hair fmartly dref-fed. « That is the fellow," faid the king, " who gave me fo much trouble." I replied, You feem to take good care of him, now you have him. " Yes," faid he, " I am a warrior « myfelf, and if I fhould fall into the enemies " hands. * hands, could with to be treated with that ** decency, of which I fet the example." He ordered a great number of the prifon-ers, who had furrendered on the late occasion, to be fliewn to me. I declined purchasing any of them, as they were much emaciated, and appeared to be fickly. " Since " that is the cafe," faid he, « I Shall put them " to death." I endeavored to diffuade him from that refolution, and recommended that he would make them boilers of fait, as they came from the country which fupplied him with that article; or to employ them in fome other way. He faid, " it would be letting a " lad example, and keeping people in the * country, who might hold feditious lan-" guage: that his was a peculiar government, •« and that thefe Strangers might prejudice " his people againST it, and infect them with " fentiments incompatible with it." I really cannot fay what was at laft the fate of thefe poor people: I know they were not kept for fait boilers, and doubt not fome of them were purchafed afterwards (when their health and ftrength were recruited), for flaves for the Weft Indies; but thofe who did not find K 4 purchafers 136 A JOURNEY TO THE COURT purchafers would undoubtedly be put to death: and the Annual Cujioms, which were then at hand, would produce a demand for two or three hundred of them; to " water t* with their blood the graves of Adaunzou'3 « ancestors." APPENDIX. T S H A L L beg leave to add, by way of • fupplement, a few particulars, which have fome connection with the preceding narratives. It has been feen, that the Da-homan conquells have extended chiefly over the maritime Hates—a circumltance, which might appear Angular, if we were only to regard the comparative civilization of thofe ftates, in confequence of their intercourfe with Europeans, and the ready fupply of fire arms and ammunition to be obtained from that that commerce, for their defence : but the truth feems to have been, that in proportion as thefe ftates became improved in civilization, and addicted to agriculture and trade, they declined from their ancient ferocity of temper: they had grown voluptuous and effeminate, and loft every fpark of martial lire. The kingdom of PVhydab, though capable of muttering with eafe two hundred thoufand effective militia, employee! none but mercenary foldiers for its protection. On the other hand, the interior nations continuing unaltered in their manners, were not to be fubdued by the Dahoman armies. The borderers on this kingdom are the Eyos or Eyoes on the eaftern fide, between Dabomy and Benin; the Mahees, on the weftern ; and the Tappas, whofe country lies contiguous to the Eyos. The latter are a very fpirited nation, and firft gave a check to the ambition of Guadja Trudo. They are probably the Taboos of Snelgrave, who perhaps had borrowed this name from Swift's Gulliver, which was cotemporary with his publication. Their form of government is not Very different from that of Dabomy, Irom which which their defpot, until very lately, ex% acted a yearly tribute for many years, as the pric&of peace. They cultivate cotton, and a fpecies of gfafs^ and manufacture both into clothing, for the ufe of the natives. Their traders likewife deal largely in flavcs, which are difpofed of to the factors of Da-homy. The Mahees, as I have before hinted, are a powerful confederacy of many united and independent ftates ; whofe form of government feems to be of the feudal kind. Their leading men polfefs vatTals or naves, but do not treat them with the Dahoman af-perity. Neverthelefs, they fell flaves in con-iiderable numbers to the Dahoman factors. But revolutions happen fo frequently, and from fuch trivial caufes, among thefe barbarous nations, who have not yet difcovered the means of conftituting, by regular offen-fiveand defeniive treaties, a political balance of power, for their mutual prefervation and tranquility, that they cannot be fuppofed to enjoy anything like a fettled form of government : it fluctuates with the alternate fuc-ceffes of invaders and ufurpers. The Eyos are even now engaged in hoitilities againft the the Mabees, with the ufual fury of favages. At the commencement of the laft periodical rains (in May 1788) they had ravaged no lefs than fourteen diftricls ; and, burning and destroying multitudes of towns and villages, continued their progrefs with fuch devastation and horror, that the tyrant of Dabomy was not without violent apprehenfions for his own fafety. Of the Tappas, but little is known. It is fuppofed they are the fame nation which is mentioned by Snelgrave, by the name of Tuffbs, a large party of whom havirtg been furprized and routed by the forces of Guadja Trudo, eighteen hundred captives were brought to the royal encampment, and of this number no lefs than four hundred were inftantly facrificed. The remainder were either kept or fold as flaves. This nation, however, muft have acquired considerable importance, as they drew a regular tribute from the Eyos. The language commonly fpoken in the Dahoman empire is the Ajirab, which is the proper dialed of Ardrab, whofe dominions formerly extended from the river Volt a to Lagos. Throughout the fame tract of country try it prevails at this day, though corrupted a little, it is true, with fome provincial idioms and variations, occasioned by an intermixture of different people. Ajirah was once a large and populous town, before the fubver-fion of the kingdom of Ardrah by the Dahomans m 1724. It is even at prefent no contemptible place. Its diflance from Griwhec or Grigiie, (the capital of Whydah) is about feven hours. I ufed to compute, that the hammoc men carried me at the rate of at leaji, five, miles per hour, in general. But that part of the road indeed which lies through the great wood (marked upon the map) is fo extremely bad, that 1 am certain my rate of travelling did not exceed four miles per hour, during the five hours I employed in eroding it. Whydah, in its ancient irate, and before it became a province to Da-homy, was bounded on the weftern part by Popot It ranged along the fhore about nine or ten miles; but in its inland divifion, from ten to twelve miles in breadth (though in fome parts rather lefs), and contained about fixty thoufand fquare acres. So very populous was it, that in one village only, were computed computed as many inhabitants as are commonly found in an entire kingdom on the Gold Coajl. There were many of thefe large villages equally well frocked, befides innumerable fmall ones; moft of which lay at a very fmall diftance from each other. The king affured Bo/man (about the year 1693) that one of his vice-roys, with his fons and grand-fons (and not reckoning any of his female defendants) made up a body of tzvo thou/aiui pcrtbnSy all of whom were then living. This, however marvellous it may found in our ears, was not thought at all incredible by thofe to whom it was mentioned, becaufe the common men in general had from forty to fifty wives each; and their fuperiors from three to four hundred, and fome of them even one thoufand : the king himfelf maintained a baram of between four and five thoufand. Moft of thefe women wrere employed in tilling the ground for their refpective hufbands. Such among them as could boaft pre-eminent beauty, which elevated them to the rank of favorites remained at home, yet were not entirely ex-cufed from fervile duties, but waited upon their their hufbands. Beiides agriculture, they were-alfo occupied in fpinning cotton, weav^ ing cloth*, and brewing pitto, a kind of beer (which was the ordinary drink), in dreffing victuals for fale, and carrying mer-chandifes to the market *. The men prac-tifed, though rudely, the arts of forming do-meftic utenlils with the fliells of the calebajb fruit; baffagyes for javelins), and feverai other articles- They were the mod wealthy and the moft enlightened blacks on the Have coaft; an improvement chiefly effected by a long habit of intercourfe with Europeans of feverai different nations. Sabee, at that period the metropolis of the kingdom, the refidence of their monarch, and feat of their commerce, was above four miles in circumference. The houfes, constructed with mud walls, were roofed with thatch. The factory houfes of the European traders were fpaciousv and airy, diftributed into convenient apartments, and Surrounded on the outfide with a large gallery opening into balconies. The- * The natives affigned as a reafon for ufmg an artificial beverage, that the water of their wells was too chilly, to* be fwallowcd without danger. town town fwarmed with people, infomuch, that it was impofiible to pafs through the Streets without great difficulty. Markets were held every day, at which were cxpofed to falc all forts of merchandizes, European and African, befidcs abundance of provisions ' of every kind. Adjacent to the factories was an extensive Space, adorned with beautiful and lofty trees, which afforded a refrefh-ing made to the governors, factors, and captains of veffels belonging to Great-Britain, France, and Portugal. Here they walked every day, and difcourfed of their affairs. The prodigious number and variety of tall and lovely trees, which feemed as if they had been planted on purpofe for decoration ; the drains which interfected the country, and were unincumbered with briars, or noxious plants (fo unlike what one fees in other parts of Guinea) ■ fields of the livelieft verdure, entirely devoted to culture, and feparated only by a ditch, or a path ; the plains em-bellifhed with an afionifhing multitude of large and fmall villages, every one of which was inclofed with a low mud wall, and placed in full view of the furrounding district j—all this ■ this aifemblage united to form the moil pit** turefque view imaginable, unobftructed either by mountain or hill. The country riling by a gradual, and almoft imperceptible flopc, to the diiiance of between forty and fifty miles from the margin of the fea, there was not* fpot throughout the whole kingdom, which did not comprehend water within the limits of its profpect. Such was the landfcape fketched by Bofman, and finifhed by Smith, who perhaps may have heightened its coloring with rather too licentious a fancy ; for he had no opportunity of viewing the country with his own eyes, until fome months after the utter demolition of the town, and defolation of the entire kingdom, by the barbarians of Dabomy. At the time of this voyager's arrival on the coaft, the elyfium had vanifhed; the fields lay uncultured, overrun with weeds, and Strewed with human fkeletons; and the very air of the place was impoifoncd with exhalations pcfiiferous to the lives of European vifitors. But it is un-queftionably a very fertile tract of land. The heat of the fun is almoft infupportable by Europeans, yet Whydah is at prefent not in Pt BOSSA AHADEE, 145 in all refpects a difagreeable refidence. The fociety of the gentlemen at the forts, is a plcafing relief in the hours of relaxation from bufinefs. The market is amply fup-plied ; for the country abounds with deer, iheep, and excellent goats (whofe flefh is as tender as mutton), hogs both wild and do-medicated, variety of poultry, and plenty of good fifh. Some beef is likewife attainable occafionally. * All thefe articles are fold at reafonable prices. A turtle weighing one hundred pounds weight, has been purchafed for a fingle flafk of brandy. So that a {hip's company may be furnifhed here with frelh provisions in greater abundance, and cheaper than at any other part of the coaft. Nor is it deftitute of various productions, adapted to commerce, and manufacture, Among thofe which in a very imperfect furvey of the country have ftruck the obfervation of European traders, are, The Indigo plant, which is exceedingly * Atkins fays, that a cow of three hundred pounds weight is reckoned a fine bead ; and that the fheep weigh about twelve pounds weight. It is true they are fmall; but they arc juicy and well tailed. L common -t common; but which the natives have neither {kill, nor difpofition to prepare for a market. Tobacco grows fpontaneoufly in feverai places : this, no lefs than the former, requires the management of experienced Europeans, to bring it into a Mate adapted for fale. Cotton is not only cultivated, but manufactured into cloth, for the ufe of the natives. Pepper, of a fpecies very fimiJar, and indeed fcarcely diftinguifhable in flavor from that of the Eafl-Indies. A fmall berry ferves the natives as a fubSti-tute for fugar. It is in itfelf infipid in the mouth, but imparts a certain fweetnefs to whatever is eaten after it. * Palm Oil is another valuable production, and is exported from hence in large quantities for the ufe of the Britilh wool-combers and foap-boilers. Peltry, fuch as tyger and leopard fkins, &c. are not of much importance. But if we consider the infinite profufion of other ufeful products fcattered over this country by the hand of nature, we are forced to lament the extreme / OT BOSSA AHADfcE. 147 extreme indolence of the natives, who remain unconfeious of, or indifferent to, the bleflings which furround them. The men fleep, and fmoke; the women (upon whom the whole taflc of agriculture is enforced) put, once in the year, a little feed-corn into the ground : fuch is the general torpidity which characterizes this people, and which would feem to juftify a common remark, that in Africa, in proportion as the foil is fruitful, the inhabitants are averfe to labor. Whydah, in its date of independence, and profperity, before the Dahoman invaiion, is faid * to have exported, pretty regularly, a thoufand Mayes per month, throughout the year. Its prefent export amounts only to about five thoufand five hundred per annum. Thus, the conqueft of it, by the king of Dabomy, has diminifhed the traffic in flaves; not by the fubttitution of one more innocent, but by a carnage, and depopulation, the moft horrible that ever occurred, perhaps, in the hiftory of mankind. * See Bf>,ia». A SHORT A SHORT ACCOUNT OF THE AFRICAN SLAVE TRADE. Second Edition, with Additions, AS the African Slave Trade has been of late the fubjecr. of public examination and of private difcuffion, a brief account of it may not perhaps be unacceptable to thofe who have had no opportunity of hearing the evidence that has been given at the bar of both houfes of parliament, or Ieifure to pe-rufe the various publications which the prefent inquiry has occasioned. A trade for Negro flaves is carried on from the river Senegal in 16 deg. north latitude, L 3 to to Cape Negro, in 16 deg. fouth: which comprehends a tract, of near four thoufand miles of fea coaft; and includes the greateft part of the interior countrywithin the above limits, from the confines of Mount Atlas, acro£s the immenfe continent of Africa, to Mozambique, on the eaftcrn coaft. From the nations bordering On the rivers Senegal and Gambia, the emperor of Morocco procures annually recruits for his black cavalry; and his fubjecls are furnifhed from thence with whatever flavcs they have occalion for. Caravans alfo travel from thence acrofs the continent, to Upper Egypt, with considerable numbers of Negro flavcs • who are forwarded from thence either from Alexandria, by fea, or marched through Afia Minor, to'Conflantinople. From the fame country, including the diftricts towards the river Sierra Leon, flavcs are collected for Hpplving the different ftates of Barbary ; from the ports of which, fome of thefe flavcs are lent to the Morea, and to the Turkifh iflands in the Mediterranean: hence it is, ha: the African coaft from Senegal* to Sierra i.eon affords, comparatively, but few flave.j ; to to the European traders. From Mozambique, and the ports on the eaftern coaft of Africa, great numbers are fent to Perfia, Goa, and other parts of the Eaft Indies; and in proportion as the culture of the Weft Indian Iflands, and of the European fettlements in America, has been extended, a demand for the labour of African Negroes has regularly jncreafed there ; and now amounts to about eighty thoufand annually : of which the Bri-tifh purchafe about forty thoufand j the French, twenty thoufand; the Portuguefe, ten thoufand ; the Dutch; fix thoufand ; and the Danes, four thoufand. — Of the forty thoufand purchafed by the Britilh, about a twentieth part are calculated to die on the voyage; and three-fourths of thofe that arrive in the Weft Indies, are difpofed of to the French and Spaniards; the remainder are diftributed in the Britifh iflands, and, for the greater part, continue ftill in a ftate of nature. Jamaica will require an addition of five or fix thoufand (laves annually, for many years, to complete its cultivation. This is the cafe alfe, though in a lefs degree, of the iflands of Grenada, Dominica, St. Vincent, L 4 and and fome other places ; particularly the Bahamas and the Bay of Honduras: the Bahamas are now the retreat of the unfortunate Loyalilts, who having been banifhed from the United States, have a virgin foil to work upon, which promifes no ungrateful return, as foon as the neceifary labourers can be procured i and the Bay of Honduras affords an afylum to thofe Britifh fettlersy who have lately been obliged to abandon their poffef-lions on the Mofquitto Shore. When the prodigious demand for African Negroes, which has cxifted for time imme-morial in Mauritania, Egypt, Perfia, and the Eaff, is considered ; and, in addition to that, the immenfe exportation of late years to America and the Weft Indies, it might be prefumed, that a visible decreafe of inhabitants would be the confequence of thefe annual drains; but from the concurrent testimony of the moft intelligent perfons, who have viflted that country, it does not appear rhat this fpeculation is juftified by experience. They who have been both in Africa and America, fay that they have been ftruck with with the appearance of nearly the lame population as in the itate of Virginia, in thofe parts of Africa that lie upon the Coaft; and add, that from the belt information which they could get, the interior parts are at leaft as fully inhabited, as thofe which they had an opportunity of feeing. Virginia comprehends about thirty thoufand fquare miles, and, including the Negroes, is faid to contain eight hundred thoufand inhabitants: taking this for the bails of a calculation, it may reafonably be prefumed that Negroland, which extends, as was mentioned before, from the Senegal to Cape Negro, and from the Atlantic eastward to the Indian Ocean,' and contains, exclusive of Nubia and Abif-iinia, at leaft, four millions of fquare miles, cdnnot have lefs than one hundred and fix millions of inhabitants; which are more than Great Britain, France, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Italy, Holland and Switzerland collectively contain. A late writer*, who was well acquainted with Africa, from his long residence there, * The late Governor Mippefly, of Cape Coaft Caftle. has has pointed out the very different circuits fiances of Europe and Africa, with regard to the advantages and disadvantages attending the propagation of the fpecies in each; What numbers of both fexes, fays he, arc there in the European world, who grow up and die, without ever having children! The increafe of luxury has always been an enemy to matrimony- and accordingly, we find many decline it from choice, and many from neccffity. The vain are deterred from itj from an unwillingnefs to abridge any part of the fplendor of their appearance; and the indigent, from a certainty of multiplying their necemties. The long abfence of men from their wives, on account of trade and other avocations, to fay nothing of war and its wafteful confcquences, neceffarily reduces the number of births. A (fate of fervitude precludes a State of matrimony, in a great part of the community; for there are few who will keep a married fervant of either fex; but above all, religion, in the Roman Catholic countries, ftrikes the heaviest blow at propagation. Thefe, and other obstacles to marriage and population, which exift, and arc arc likely to continue in Europe, prevent a yearly recruit of at leaft fome millions of people; yet under all thefe difadvantages, the number of its inhabitants are fuppofed to increafe. In Africa none of thefe impediments prevail : there we find defire, unchecked by the dread of want, taking its full fcope. A turn to fpeculation, retirement and abstracted ftudies, refolutions of celibacy from difap-pointed love, unmarried fervants, long voyages, and religious vows, are utterly unknown. Their wars are not attended with the fame circumftances of destruction as ours *; and here are no impediments againft purfuing the dictates of natural inclination. Polygamy is univerfally practifed in Africa, and contributes greatly to its populoufnefs. It would be hurtful to the population of Europe ; where the number of males and females born is nearly equal, or at leaft differs only about as much as to make up for the number of the former that are cut oil, by accident attending their active ftate : but in Africa, * fong voyages, trd*ioui hnprifonmeiits, fliipwrecks, t-.iyhanlnicuti, &C. &c. where where no man goes without a wife from a fcarcity of women, and in fhort an un-matcd black man is feldom or never feen j where the richeft men, having many wives* do not prevent the pooreft from having one or two, the number of women muff greatly exceed that of the men: nor is this a lingular cdfc, for the fame happens at Bantam, and other parts of the Eafi Indies, that lie in the fame latitudes: befides the number of men every year flaughtered and sacrificed in Africa, there is a great majority of male flavcs carried out of it, which frill adds very much to the relative proportion of women left behind; fo that there muft be an advantage to population in admitting polygamy in a country, where almoft every mail may have two or three wives, and feverai, as many hundreds. Hence it is, that Africa can not only continue fupplying all the demands that offer for her furplus inhabitants, in the quantities it has hitherto done, but, if neceflity required it, could fpare thoufands, nay millions more, to the end of time, all of whom may be confidered as refcued by oy this means from that certain death, which ^waited them in their own country. The vaft country of Negroland is divided into a multitude of ftates, the grcateft part of which have never yet been explored \ but in thole which have been viiited by Etu ropeans, the government is found to vary from the moft abfolute tyranny in fome, to fomewhat lefs defpotic and oppreflive in others. The bulk of the people are Haves to a few freemen ; and in fome ftates there is not an individual free but the prince ; from every circumftance of intelligence and obfervation, the general ftate of the Negro, in Africa, is that of flavery and qppreffion, \n every fenfe of the word. In Dabomy, the king is abfolute mailer of the life, liberty, and property, of every perfon in his dominions ; and he fports with them, with the moft favage and wanton cruelty. Piles of their heads are placed as ornaments before his palace gates on fcftival days, and on every public occalion; and the floors leading to his aparment are ftrewed with their bodies, to imprefs thofe who approach him with re-, fpedfc and awe. The area before his bedchamber chamber, is paved with the fkulls of pri, Toners taken in war, that he may daily cm joy the favage gratification of literally trampling on the heads of his enemies. Parents have neither property, nor interest in their children, in the Dahoman territories; they belong entirely to the king, and are all taken, by his order, from their mothers, at an early age, and diftributed in villages remote from the place of their nativity; where there is but little chance of their be-?-ing feen, or, at leafi, recognized by their parents afterwards. His motive,for this is, that there may be no family connexions, no affiliations that might be injurious to his unlimitted power. Each individual is detached, and unconnected; and, having no relative for whom he is interested, is foli-citous only for his own fafcty, which he con-fults by the moft abject fumiflion. There, paternal affections, and filial love fcarcely exift: for mothers, instead of cherifhing, endeavour to fupprefs thofe attachments for their offspring, which, they are certain, will be violated, as foon as their children are able to undergo the fatigue of being removed from, from them. Yet, this worst of flavery does not prevent population, as it, doubtlefs, would in any civilized part of the world, where liberty is prized above all other enjoyments. But the idea of flavery is different in an African. Had the Negro the love of rational freedom exiiting in his breaff, it is next to impoffible that he could act thus. But, alas! he knows nothing of this in-eftimable bleffing, having never enjoyed it! The country which gave him birth, the foil from which he fprung, produce no fuch bloffom ; and, mould it ever appear, which is highly improbable, instead of the fostering hand to bring it to maturity, the bloody and unrelenting arm of tyranny is ever ready to cut it down. The credibility of thefe extraordinary facts does not depend upon mere hearfay: Dabomy is a maritime kingdom, in which the Britifh, French, and Portuguefe have been permitted to erect forts for the protection of their trade; and the veracity of what is here related, is authenticated by the indubitable testimony of many who have refided (here, and have avowed it publicly. The The African's have been in the practice, from time immemorial, ol felling their countrymen, and never entertained any more doubt of their right to do fo, than we do of fending delinquents to Botany Bay, or to Tyburn; deeming it fair and juft to difpofe of their flaves, priibners of war, and felons, according to their own eftablifhed laws and cuftoms. Great enormities the) punifh with death ; but, unlefs it be in fuch defpotic governments as Dabomy, few but criminals are fold to the Europeans, except prifoners taken in war ■ who would inevitably be put to death, did not a more profitable mode offer of difpofing of them : and hence it is, that perfons of, fome rank in their own country, fometimes become flaves in the Weft Indies and American colonies; but the houfe of bondage, ftrictly fpeaking, may be called a land of freedom to them : where, notwithftanding they do not enjoy pre-eminence, they may be comfortable; and where^ although prevented from exercising cruelty on others, they are always protected them-felves. Thofe who are guilty of theft, adultery, or the imputed crime of witchcraft, i$ they efcape death, are fold for flaves. To deter them from the commiiiion of thefe crimes, their fituation in foreign flavery is reprefented to be attended with the fevereft tortures; which, fortunately for them however, are not realized. Nor is it to be wondered at, in a country of fo great extent, and fo little civilization, that the greateft part of the Africans, brought to the European colonies, have been previoufly condemned to flavery, for a els of delinquency; fince Great Britain alone, under the fupe-rior advantages of its religion, laws, and manners, produces annually above two thoufand convicts. Since the labour of African flaves has been found neceffary for the cultivation of the foil in the tropical climates of America, from the utter incapacity of white people to undergo that fatigue, every European nation polfefRng colonies there, has been folicitous to acquire a fhare in this traffic; nor have the moft fcrupulous of them entertained a doubt of their right to purchafe, what the Africans exercifed a right to difpofe of. Among the adventurers in this trade, the M Britifh Britifh potters, at prefent, the greatefi lhaie. It was during the government of the commonwealth, that Negroes were carried, in any numbers, to the Britifh Weft Indies, and then, chiefly to Barbadoes : a few indeed were brought to Virginia, by a Dutch Ship, as early as 1620; but it was the Royal African Company, that firft carried on, from England, a vigorous commerce to Africa, during the reign of Charles II. We may form an opinion of the magnitude of it, in its moft flouriming ftate, prior to the revo-^ lution in 1688, by considering that the company employed thirty fhips annually, which delivered about five thoufand Negroes in the Weft Indies. The increafe of it to its prefent itatc, may be attributed to the entcrprizing fpirit of the merchants; to the iiiperior addrefs of thofe employed in the ex^ ecutive part of it 5 to the opulence of the manufacturers, which enables them to extend a credit to the former, beyond what can be had in any other country; and to the annual grants of parliament, for the maintenance of fcvCral forts, and factories in Africa, from fhcfe concurring circumftances, the Britifh planter planters are fupplied with Negroes, on more reafonable terms than their neighbours; and a large furplus is left, which is difpofed of to the French and Spaniards for fpecie, and other valuable commodities. The importance of this trade to Great Britain may be determined from the following considerations : it immediately employs about one hundred (hips, which fail annually for Africa, with cargoes which amount nearly to a million fterlinr, and which are compofed of the productions of the Britith fettlements in the Eatt and Welt Indies; and of Britilh manufactures, to the value of feven hundred thoufand pounds. The circuitous returns of thefe cargoes are computed at a million and an half. The artificers and mechanics employed at Liverpool alone, receive one hundred thoufand pounds annually for labor and materials employed in equipping the ihips engaged in it; and exclufive of the large fums paid for feamen's wages, the commifiions and privilege of the captains and officers amount at leaft to fifty thoufand pounds annually; which are generally realized there, and have contributed M 2 greatly greatly to the rapid increafe of that commercial town. The African trade, connected air k is-witli the Weft Indian commerce, and with the trade to the remaining continental colonics, and Newfoundland iifhery, is of the utmoft confequcncc to the employment of many thoufands of our fellow fubjecis; to the naval power of Britain; and to the royal revenues; all which arc conjoined by fympa-thetic ties. The value of three millions at leaft of domcftic manufactures, exclufive of other merchandize, annually finds a profitable vent by means of the African and Weft Indian trades ; and above five millions of property, ariiing from the labor of Negro Haves, employed in the Weft Indian iHands, is yearly imported from thence; which contributes not lefs than a million and an half annually to the revenue of this kingdom. To carry on this immenfe traffic, and to fupply thefe iflands with lumber and proviiions, from the continental colonies and Newfoundland fifhery, gives constant employment to at leaft a thoufand ihips, and to above fifteen thoufand mari- ricrs. To enumerate the fatal confequcnccs that would inevitably enfue from a check given to this exteniive commerce, much more the fuppremon of it, exceeds the prefent limits of this ihort fketch, but they fhall be hinted in the fequel. The adventurers in this trade, who have fe/en for near a century part, the Society for propagating Chriltianity, compofed of the Archbifhop of Canterbury, the Bilhop of London, and many pious doctors of the eita-blifhed church, deriving, as matters, a yearly income from the labor of their Negroe (laves in the Welt Indies, which is appropriated to the increafe of Christianity in the world, could not comider it as contrary to the fpirit of the Scriptures, or to the principles of morality: nor could the adventurers regard this traffic as inconfiftent with the natural rights of mankind, when they read in the ftatute of 9 and 10 of King William (which was made avowedly for extending the trade to Africa), " That this trade zvas "highly beneficial to this kingdom/' a declaration of a king, who was the patron of liberty, and of a parliament that had vindi-M 3 cated cated the natural rights of mankind ; and when they read alfo in the flat, of 23 Geo. II, ^ • a* * - • * • •: *. y • • •