CHAPTER X.
Set out on my Journey for Abomey—Savay—Torree—My wretched Condition—Azoway—Parasitical Plants—Aladda—Cotton tree—Atoogo—Assewhee—Havee—A Butterfly-School—Whyboe—Construction of the Houses—Native Customs—Manufactures—African Character generally—Population of Whyboe—Akpway—An extensive Swamp—Ahgrimmah—Togbadoe—Scenery—Soil—Swarm of Locusts.
Set out on my Journey for Abomey—Savay—Torree—My wretched Condition—Azoway—Parasitical Plants—Aladda—Cotton tree—Atoogo—Assewhee—Havee—A Butterfly-School—Whyboe—Construction of the Houses—Native Customs—Manufactures—African Character generally—Population of Whyboe—Akpway—An extensive Swamp—Ahgrimmah—Togbadoe—Scenery—Soil—Swarm of Locusts.
At one o’clock, during a heavy rain, we started from Whydah, leaving my servant, an American, who had belonged to the American vessel already mentioned, but who refused to remain on board after the vessel was converted into a slaver. He had been foolish enough to lend a negro four dollars, and was endeavouring to get it back; but after remaining a whole day, he was of course obliged to put up with the loss of his money.
This was a gloomy commencement of my journey; for I had nothing but a set of villains with me, ready to rob me when an opportunity should offer. The path from Whydah commencesE.N.E.magnetic; and two milesN.E., thenN.one and three quarters, I reached Savay, a small kroom of one hundred and fifty inhabitants, distant fromWhydah five miles and three quarters, instead of nine miles, as computed by the natives. The country is open, the soil red, loamy sand, of excellent quality. The rain had ceased. One of my carriers broke down purposely, in order that another of his rascally confederates might be employed to assist him, though his load was not forty pounds’ weight. He returned to Whydah by another road to avoid meeting me, but M. de Suza’s headman, after administering a flogging to him, sent the villain back to me, and so he did not effect his object, having for his villany added eleven miles and a half to his day’s journey.
After dismounting a few minutes at Savay, we again resumed our journey. The road still magneticN.five miles, then changing toN.E.three and three quarters, I reached Torree, distant eight miles and three quarters from Savay, and fourteen and a half from Whydah. The country was level and wooded for the last stage. I stopped at Torree during the night, without a servant, clothes wet, horse wet, and no house for him. I was obliged to cook, and attend to my horse; in fact, to do every thing myself. Heavy rain during the night, and until half past eleven o’clock on the following morning, the 7th, when we again commenced our journey. BearingN.seven miles and a half, reached Azoway, a kroom with one hundred inhabitants,—last stage a beautifully wooded path,and good road. Observed some splendid parasitical plants, with a very beautiful flower; one with an octagon-shaped spreading flower of a bright vermilion colour with six yellow petals, about the size of a primrose. The plant is four or five feet high, long, slender, woody stem, of a clinging character. This is the only place at which I have observed this plant.
After stopping five minutes and drinking water with the headman, we marched from Azoway, the country resembling a gentleman’s park in England; rising ground three miles to the eastward, road bearingN.two miles, thenN.W.seven miles, reached Aladda, a town with a good market and king’s house built for the accommodation of white men visiting Dahomey. Near this place I shot a monkey and gave it to my carriers, who considered it a great luxury. I ate a piece of his liver, which was very good. The King keeps wives at this place, the head one of whom sent me water and a present of a fowl. The land is level, with good soil, and plenty of corn; distant seven miles and three quarters from Azoway, and from Torree fifteen miles and a quarter. On the road I had hired some assistant carriers, and my people were now in better marching order, and all seemed comfortable and myself happy. In the house where I slept I found a sheet of paperwritten in Arabic, and suspended to one of the beams by the corner. I was told that this was placed there as a charm or amulet, by a Mahomedan priest passing through this place. Here I observed one of the largest cotton trees I ever saw, except one on the banks of the river Niger, which I measured when engaged in the Niger expedition in 1841. That measured fifty-seven feet, but the caboceer of Aladda objected to my measuring this without the King’s leave.
June 8th.—We marched from Aladda at forty minutes past nine, bearingN.two miles, then NN.W.three miles, and reached Atoogo, a small kroom of one hundred inhabitants, the country still thickly wooded with immense large and straight trees of various species. Bearing still NN.W.at two miles reached Assewhee, a small kroom of twenty huts; and at two miles further, with several bends in the road, but general bearing NN.W., arrived at Havee, a kroom of three hundred inhabitants, the land well cultivated round and near the kroom. Near this place, and for several miles which we had passed, an extraordinary number of butterflies, of various sorts and colours, were assembled in immense heaps on different spots on the road. Sometimes we clapped a hat upon the heap, and secured fifty or sixty. Upon inquiring as to the cause of such singularassemblies, the natives, in their own language, told me that it was a butterfly school: but upon again pressing them with the question, why they selected one particular spot, I was told, that whenever any person had occasion to make water, the spot was immediately covered with butterflies. Upon minute observation I found this perfectly correct.
After marching five miles in the same bearing, over a good road thickly wooded with beautiful trees of great height, we arrived at Whyboe, completely drenched from a thunder-storm. Whyboe is a town of considerable size, with a house belonging to the King, for the accommodation of white men. The town is well built; but, like all other towns in this country, the houses are all of clay. Here, and wherever I have passed, no other material could be substituted, for I have not seen a stone so large as a pea, neither at Whydah nor since I left that place. It may be well to mention, that the construction of the houses is much better than in many parts I have visited. Each householder occupies a square of seventy feet, the backs of the houses forming the walls of a square. The doors are inside the square, with the exception of one, as an entrance. In front of the main dwelling is formed a colonnade of square pillars. Under this colonnade, and against the outside of the wall of the dwelling, is a clay seat,extending the whole length of one side of the square, leaving a space opposite the doorway. This seat is about five feet wide, and one foot and a half high, having a draught or current of air generally. It forms a very pleasant seat, and frequently a bed for the occupants. The slaves or domestics generally occupy another part, but little distinction is observed in general between master and servant, except in presence of strangers, and that with a view to display their dignity.
If a glass of liquor is presented to the master, he invariably shares it with his domestics, who are squatted round him. Upon a master offering the glass or cup, which is never taken out of the master’s hand, the other, on his knees, holds his mouth to receive what his master chooses to pour into it, in the same way that rooks, when young, are fed by the parent.
Cloth is manufactured in almost all the krooms I have yet passed; but their method is so tedious, that it becomes expensive; consequently numbers, both male and female, are entirely naked. Those who can afford it generally wear a cloth round their loins, as at Whydah and other places on the coast. Here, to my great satisfaction, my white servant overtook me;Mr.Hanson, agent forMr.Hutton, had kindly sent a native with him to show him the way. Poor fellow!he was much fatigued and wet, yet cheerful withal. He was a little feverish, having slept at Torree on a damp clay floor; for even a mat was refused him, though the King orders every accommodation to strangers. This is a proof of the mistaken idea entertained of the kindness of the natives in general. Two days before, when I passed, they pretended great attention, knowing that they would be well remunerated; but this poor solitary white man, with only a negro boy for his guide, they charged eight cowries for lying on bare earth! This is a sample of the generosity of the generality of Africans.
The severe laws and discipline of the King of Dahomey need not surprise us, when we are acquainted with the character of his people. Having got some rice and fowl-soup prepared, I prevailed on my servant to endeavour to take some, but he was unable to eat any thing. I then made him some tea, and spread my own mat for him, and covered him over with my sheet—the only one I possessed, for my others had been stolen. He soon got into a strong perspiration, and in the morning he was quite restored.
Whyboe contains about six hundred inhabitants, who seem better disposed than those nearer the coast; they are more industrious too. The land is well cultivated round and near the town,producing corn of different sorts, manioc, and yams.
June 9th.—We marched from Whyboe at 6ʰ 40′, bearing still NN.W., the path good and beautifully wooded. At four miles, bearingN., and at one mile and a half, reached Akpway, five miles and a half from Whyboe. Akpway is a small town, with another house of accommodation, which we did not enter, having a long journey this day. We merely halted in the market-place, and took a piece of biscuit and some water. Here I found a man from Cape Coast, who spoke some few words of English. He was now employed in the King’s house here. I found him kind and attentive in obeying the King’s orders in furnishing us with water for my party and horse. For this I gave him a good dram of rum. Here the path passes over red-sand or freestone, the first stone I had observed.
Marched again at 8ʰ 45′, bearingN.one mile, then NN.W., and entered the swamp, frequently impassable during the rainy season. Fortunately, I was enabled to ride my horse for the greater part of the way. The road was now intersected by trees of immense size, interspersed with smaller (fruit) trees, of different kinds. Amongst these was a sort of damson, of fine flavour, the colour of a ripe plum, and of the size of an Englishcherry. This swamp continued for about ten miles, in the same bearing. We then reached Ahgrimmah, distant from Akpway thirteen miles and a quarter. We marched from Ahgrimmah at 1ʰ 10′, with occasional bends in the path bearing NN.W., and at five and a quarter miles reached Togbadoe, a market town, with nine hundred inhabitants, situated on a gentle rising ground, and open, with the exception of a beautiful clump of trees at a little distance apart, resembling a vast pleasure-ground or park, not unlike some part of the Great Park at Windsor. On the right of the path, orN.E., at three miles distant, is a beautiful valley, running NN.W.and SS.E.five miles, crossing the path in the form of an arch, and taking the above direction at one mile and a half distant, forming the shape of a horse-shoe. Here the soil is light, and vegetation not so luxuriant; small gravel on the surface, from which the soil had been washed. At three feet and a half below the surface, ironstone in a congested or fused state is found. At this place we passed one mile through a swarm of locusts. No one who has not witnessed such a scene can form an idea of the immense numbers crowded together. Well might the Egyptians dread such visitors! Upon our approach to the spot where the swarm commenced, the noise was similar tothat of a heavy blast of wind passing through a forest of trees, or like the noise of a heavy shower of hail. This was caused by their hopping to get out of our way. My horse at first felt alarmed; but, after being urged by the whip and spur, he went amongst them, killing many hundreds as he passed, although they are so very nimble; but their excessive number prevented them from getting out of the way. They were about the size of a grasshopper, or a little stouter, of the colour of a bee. Their wings were not full grown, which may account for their not being able to get out of the way. I was told afterwards that they were not half grown. They are much dreaded when they settle down amongst a crop of any description, for they totally destroy every thing within their reach.