CHAPTER XII.
Conversation with the King of Dahomey continued—Visit Coomassie, another Palace of the King—Great Number of Human Skulls—Skulls of Kings taken in Battle—Death-drums—Peculiarity of Skulls—Craniums of the Fellattahs—Skulls of Rival Kings—Criminal Case heard by the King, and his Award—Death of my Servant Maurice—Regret of the King—Christian Burial of my Servant—The King’s Kindness to me—My increasing Illness and Depression of Spirits—Method of Procuring Food in the Bush by the Dahoman Soldiers—My Alarm at the Dangerous State of my Wound—Make Preparations to amputate my Limb—My Recovery—My last Conversation with the King—The King’s Presents to the Queen of England—Present from him to her Majesty of a Native Girl—Escorted out of Abomey, and Departure for Whydah—Absurd Custom—Canamina—Ahgrimah—My Pigeons from the Kong Mountains—Non-Arrival of some of my Carriers—Punishment awarded them for their Roguery on their Arrival.
Conversation with the King of Dahomey continued—Visit Coomassie, another Palace of the King—Great Number of Human Skulls—Skulls of Kings taken in Battle—Death-drums—Peculiarity of Skulls—Craniums of the Fellattahs—Skulls of Rival Kings—Criminal Case heard by the King, and his Award—Death of my Servant Maurice—Regret of the King—Christian Burial of my Servant—The King’s Kindness to me—My increasing Illness and Depression of Spirits—Method of Procuring Food in the Bush by the Dahoman Soldiers—My Alarm at the Dangerous State of my Wound—Make Preparations to amputate my Limb—My Recovery—My last Conversation with the King—The King’s Presents to the Queen of England—Present from him to her Majesty of a Native Girl—Escorted out of Abomey, and Departure for Whydah—Absurd Custom—Canamina—Ahgrimah—My Pigeons from the Kong Mountains—Non-Arrival of some of my Carriers—Punishment awarded them for their Roguery on their Arrival.
August 26th.—The King again sent for me to visit him at the palace. He met me in his usual familiar manner, with a hearty shake of the hand, and a familiar slap on my back with his open hand. A table had been already spread with the necessary viands. He proposed the Queen of England’s health; after which he wished me to proceed to a large palace, about a mile distant, called Coomassie, (after the capital of Ashantee),there to take the plan and dimensions of a number of different sized war tents. These displayed ingenuity and taste, superior to many European nations. The King ordered a number similar to them to be made in England, and sent to him as soon as possible. This palace was built and named about the time when the present King threw off his allegiance to the kingdom of Ashantee, the King of which formerly boasted that he could hold Dahomey in vassalage.
After the building of this palace, the King of Dahomey declared himself capable of holding Ashantee in vassalage. The palace is considered memorable on this account. In this as well in several other palaces we visited on this day, we were entertained with every variety of luxuries used at the King’s table. Upon my return to his Majesty, I found a number of people busily employed in carrying out of the stores a number of human skulls, taken in various countries during the wars. Previous to my journey into the mountains, I had made a request to the King for leave to inspect a few skulls of natives of the different countries he had conquered, with the view of comparing them, and also to make drawings of some of them.
When between two and three thousand skulls had been carried out and placed in the parade-ground in front of the palace, I begged the King not to send for any more. His state chair was placed in the centre of a circle, formed by arranging the large calabashes or gourds containing the skulls, in that form. The heads of the kings were placed in large brass pans, about two feet in diameter. The heads of caboceers and head-men were in calabashes about the same size as the former; and to my great astonishment, when curiosity prompted me to make inquiry respecting any one of these skulls, a long detail was immediately given me of all the circumstances connected with the parties when alive.
Though these people do not write, with the exception of the Mohammedan portion of them, yet they possess very retentive memories. The death-drums were also brought out on this occasion. They were four in number, and of different sizes, but much larger than the large drums in use in the British army. The largest measured nine feet four inches in length, and the whole were ornamented with human skulls, several of which I observed were deficient of any suture across the upper part. This appeared in theproportion of one in twelve, and the skulls without any longitudinal division were as one in twenty-seven. I found the skulls of the Mahees generally to recede from the nasal bone or lower part of the forehead to the top in a greater angle than those of any other country.
The Fellattahs are very different in their cranium and general development from the others, having high, square foreheads, and a quick and bright eye. They are slighter in person than either the Dahomans or Mahees; but are generally well formed, sinewy in their limbs, and capable of enduring great fatigue. The Dahomans are a very fine and generally tall race of people, both male and female, and the most honest of any people I ever met with.
It is worthy of remark, that unlike any other uncivilized people I have seen, during my stay at Abomey I was never asked by any individual for an article of even the most trifling value, nor ever lost anything, except what was stolen by my people from the coast. The Dahoman laws are certainly severe, but they have the desired effect. In the collection of skulls, I found a number of them ornamented with brass, and rivetted together with iron. These were the heads of rival kings, who were killed bythe King’s women, or wives. Amongst these was the richly ornamented skull of the King of Nahpoo, in the Annagoo country; his name was Adaffo. His town was taken, and he himself made prisoner, by the female regiments, commanded by the female commander, Apadomey. Many of the skulls still retained the hair. It appears that this part of the human body has always been a favourite ornament on the palace-walls of Abomey, and even in the walls, entrance of gateways, and doorways; though the present King has not placed them on the walls of the new palace called Coomassie.
A guard is mounted every morning at each of the palaces, and there is a resident governor. After taking several drawings of the skulls of several kings killed in war, his Majesty invited me to be present at the trial of a prisoner who had been brought from a town in the Mahee country, where he had already been tried, upon an accusation of adultery with one of the caboceers’ wives, and the sentence of death had been passed upon him. The man, however, being conscious of his innocence, appealed to the Court of Abomey, where all the witnesses were again examined and cross-questioned by the King himself.It was now distinctly proved that the whole was a false accusation, and the poor fellow was immediately liberated; but the caboceer, who had been his accuser, and fourteen of his false witnesses, were seized and imprisoned for trial on a future day, when doubtless the whole of them would suffer death.
The King, with great satisfaction, pointed out to me the beneficial effects of this new law which he had made, observing that formerly, in the Mahee country, when a caboceer felt animosity against a person in his power, he could at any time get up an accusation against him, and also ensure such evidence as would suit his purpose; but that now the accused had the power of appealing to the court of Abomey, which had been the means of effectually checking such practices, as he invariably put the accusers to death when he found the accused to be innocent.
As I felt very unwell and feverish, I begged the King to allow me to return to my quarters, which he readily acceded to, and with his usual kindness inquired if he could do any thing for me. He walked with me nearly to my dwelling, during which a continual fire of musketry was kept up until I entered my own gates.
I found my servant, Maurice, still weaker, and could not prevail on him to partake of any nourishment. It was now evident that his earthly career was near its termination. I asked him if he would like me to read prayers to him; and intimated to him the near approach of his dissolution. He consented to my reading prayers; but said, he thought he should recover. I asked him to give me his father’s address, so that in the event of his death I might write to him; but, for what reason I am at a loss to imagine, he refused to give it me, but confessed that he had been using a false name; and that his father’s name was not Maurice. He expressed a wish to be carried to Whydah, which was speedily arranged to be done on the following morning. My fever increasing, I was now compelled to go to bed.
Early on the 27th August the carriers reported themselves ready to proceed with Maurice to Whydah. By this time, my fever had so increased, that from giddiness I was unable to stand without assistance; and poor Maurice, being brought in upon the hammock, proved to be in a dying state; and in a few minutes afterwards expired without a struggle. A messenger wasimmediately sent to the King to inform him of the melancholy fact, who expressed extreme regret at it, remarking that he feared the occurrence might prevent other Englishmen from visiting him; but I told him that it was the will of God, and that no person was to blame; on the contrary, that every thing had been done which our means afforded. The King then ordered four men to dig a grave for Maurice, and sent me a flask of rum to give the carriers and grave-diggers. He also sent two fine cloths to wrap the body in. He would not allow it to be interred in the sepulchre appointed for strangers, but it was buried in the court-yard in front of Mayho’s house, with every mark of respect.
Great attention was paid by all the spectators during the burial-service, which I read. I was now left without a white man, and, for a moment, I felt the loneliness of my situation. This melancholy feeling was augmented by my severe indisposition. My wounded leg began to swell and to become discoloured. In the afternoon, the King sent for me to come and see him, if possible. I felt myself unable to walk, but was carried in a hammock to the palace. The King seemed in great trouble at my illness. He toldme that he had sent for me to show me an elephant which had been killed by one of Mayho’s soldiers. He wished to know if I could preserve a part of it to take with me to Whydah, for which place I intended to proceed in a few days. I told him that I was afraid I could not preserve it, so as to be able to carry it with me; he promised to send me a dish of the flesh for my dinner on the following day.
He begged me to join in drinking the health of the Queen of England and the whole of the Royal Family, in cherry brandy, which he strongly recommended as beneficial in all cases of fever. This I did: he then informed me that he had a regiment of female soldiers (his wives), as well as a regiment of males, on the parade in front of the palace, waiting to show me how they procured their food when in the bush.
At that moment, I felt myself a much fitter subject for my mat or bed; but, as this parade was got up entirely for my gratification, I determined to remain as long as possible. Accordingly, I accompanied the King to the parade-ground, where we found the male and female soldiers formed in line, with front and rear ranks, thelatter on the right. At seventy yards’ distance from their front was a high swish, or clay wall, parallel with the line of soldiers. Close to this were fastened, by pegs driven into the ground, a number of sheep, goats, ducks, guinea-fowls, and the common fowl. The whole were placed in that position for the purpose of illustrating the method by which the army procured its food when on march in the bush, which abounds with game. Each of the soldiers was armed either with a long Danish or English musket, charged with iron bullets.
The females commenced firing from the right, advancing one pace to the front in succession, as they came to the present. I was certainly much surprised to see the certainty of their deadly aim. Although at seventy yards distance, very few missed their object; and I did not observe one who fired wide of a man’s body. The female commanders presented me with eight large Muscovy ducks and some Guinea-fowls. The male soldiers fired with even more precision than the females, but I believe that the whole of them were picked shots; but even if that were the case, the feat was astonishing, and would havedone credit to our best riflemen. I became so much exhausted and sick at the stomach at last, that I was obliged to be immediately carried home. My leg, also, was now very much swollen, and darker in colour, and became very painful, with every symptom of gangrene or mortification. I confess I felt considerable alarm at observing these symptoms so rapidly increasing. By this time, however, I had become inured to hardships and suffering, and had learned to set little value upon my life, and could very readily have reconciled myself to share the same grave with poor Maurice. My principal anxiety was respecting my Journal, a great part of which was only in notes; consequently the probability was that my kind and generous patrons would never get possession of it, though this was the only tribute of gratitude I should ever have it in my power to return them. I, therefore, made up my Journal and papers in the form of a parcel, addressed to the Geographical Society, with strict injunctions to my servants to forward them toMr.Hutton of Cape Coast.
My people were very much alarmed at my condition, as were also Mayho and the King’smessengers, who visited me every two hours. My leg was still rapidly getting worse, the blackness progressing upwards. I now began to measure my time, calculating upon my death before morning. I had seen several amputations performed, and came to the determination to attempt to amputate my own leg, should it appear absolutely necessary. In the meantime, I ordered poultices to be prepared from Indian corn meal, and yeast from the peto. This was immediately applied. I then had all my amputating instruments placed in readiness, with the necessary quantity of bandages; and I instructed my people what they were to do in the event of my fainting while endeavouring to perform the operation. They did not seem altogether to relish my instructions, but promised to do their best in obedience to my orders.
It may be considered that madness alone could have suggested such an attempt; but it must also be observed, that necessity under certain circumstances urges the performance of many things bordering on impossibilities; and in despair we are always ready to grasp even at a shadow of hope.
However, thank God! I had not occasion to make the attempt. The poultices had the desired effect, for in the morning the swelling was considerably reduced, and the colour turned from black to a pink or light purple colour, except round the wound, which sloughed, and the flesh dropped from the bone, causing much pain. Mayho visited me early, and seemed much pleased when I informed him of my improvement. My spirits also were much revived, and having some remnants of cotton print left, I made a frock for Mayho’s youngest boy, with which he seemed very much pleased. I also made Mayho a waistcoat of the same material.
On the 28th I was able to visit the King, to whom I intimated a wish to depart on the following day for Whydah. He said that he felt very reluctant to part with me, and wished very much that I would remain in his capital; at the same time admitting the necessity of my hurrying home to deliver his message to the Queen of England, and expressing his great disappointment thatMr.Freeman had not visited him a second time. He again spoke very highly of him, and expressed a great wish to have anEnglish missionary and school for mechanics in his capital. He begged me to point out the necessity of this upon my return to England.
The King now ordered Mayho to get carriers ready for my departure for the coast. The bullocks and goats, which had been presented to me, had been forwarded already, leaving only the bipeds which were to accompany me when I should leave. His Majesty sent me a present of three pieces of royal cloth, as well as two pieces for the Queen of England, as specimens of their manufacture. He also sent a very handsome young girl as a present for Her Majesty. This child was about seven years old, and was the daughter of a Mahee king, killed in the late war. He also sent me eighteen heads of cowries, valued at the same number of dollars, to defray my expenses to Whydah, and two kegs of rum to treat my people with, with his best wishes for my welfare, and hoping I should soon return to visit his kingdom.
During the whole of my stay in Abomey I had received the most unbounded kindness from the King, as well as from his principal officers, and, as I have before stated, I had never beensolicited for any thing by way of dash or present. But I had in my possession a walking-stick, which contained a spring dagger; this the King seemed to admire much, I therefore asked him to accept it as a present, for which he heartily thanked me, saying that he should be very glad to do so when I returned from the Kong Mountains, remarking that in all probability I should meet with some very bad people while in the Mahee country. After my return I offered him the stick, which he again refused, saying that he would wait till I had safely arrived at Griwhee (Whydah). He would send a messenger with me thither for the purpose of carrying it back to Abomey. He also ordered three caboceers to accompany me on my journey to the coast.
All was now arranged for my departure on the following morning. I was still very weak, and quite lame from the large wound in my leg, which was on the lower part of the calf, four inches in length and about one and a half in breadth; but my little horse had now recovered from his long journey, and was in high condition for another. I therefore resolved to pursue my journey, as I had intended.
August 29th.—At daybreak a messenger came before I arose from my mat, to inquire after the state of my health, with orders to ascertain whether I considered myself quite capable of undertaking my journey, to which I replied in the affirmative. In a short time afterwards breakfast was sent as usual, and a number of my carriers arrived.
It is always considered consistent with court etiquette here, as I have previously stated, that a stranger visiting his Majesty should arrive and depart from the capital as nearly as possible when the sun is at its meridian, consequently various excuses were made to detain me till that period, when I was escorted out of the town by my excellent old friend Mayho, and many more of the principal men, with a band of music, till we crossed the bridge over the moat outside the town walls. Here I was given up to the charge of the three caboceers before mentioned.
About two hundred yards from the gates is a fetish-house, in passing which all persons are compelled to dismount, if carried, and walk past a certain distance; but the King had very kindly forwarded an order to the fetish-man, to allow meto ride, on account of my lameness, at which every man seemed much amazed, saying that no man ever rode over the same ground before.
I was very much surprised to see one of my fowls tied by the feet lying at the door of the fetish-house, which of course led to some inquiries. I was informed that while the man carrying my fowls was passing the place, this cock had crowed, and consequently he had become the property of the head fetishman. The man who carried the basket had not proceeded farther, but waited till I arrived, to explain the matter. I made some objections to submit to such a ridiculous custom, whereupon a messenger was immediately sent to the King, who sent an order to give up the cock, and also intimated that it was not his wish to compel an Englishman to observe black man’s laws, remarking that Englishmen can do no wrong.
When we arrived at Canamina we overtook two of my carriers, who, though big, strong-looking men, were quite exhausted, and unable to proceed. Had I been furnished with female carriers, I should have found no difficulty. However, I hired an assistant carrier, before I couldget the men to proceed. After a tiresome ride, we arrived at Ahgrimah. When dismounting I was quite exhausted, and my leg and foot swollen so much, that my cloth boot had burst, and I suffered very much for upwards of two hours from pain in my wound. Here I was much amused with the pigeons which I had brought from the Kong Mountains. Though I had three different specimens, all rare, they had now become so much reconciled to each other as to be all of one family, as it were.
Whenever we halted for the night, and they were released from the gourd in which they were carried, they never attempted to leave me, but kept walking to and fro, near the spot where I lay, till they were fed; and when darkness came on, they huddled themselves close to my person. I was very much annoyed here on account of several of my carriers not arriving, particularly as my camp-kettle had not come. I managed, however, to get a meal from the natives.
Aug. 30th.—As soon as I awoke I inquired after my luggage, and found that two of my principal boxes had not arrived. Whereupon I despatched a trusty messenger, sent by Mayhoto accompany me to Whydah to carry back my coat, which I had promised that excellent old man, being the only thing I now possessed worth his acceptance. He hastened back to Abomey, to report the delay to his master, who had furnished the carriers. Mayho immediately sent fresh men with orders to punish the villains who had hung back, as, he said, he had himself examined each of their loads, and found them all considerably under the regulated weight for carriers.
At last the men arrived, accompanied by my messenger and fresh carriers, late in the afternoon. Immediately on their arrival, the offenders were brought before the caboceers for judgment; and, after a short palaver, they were sentenced to be beaten with a stick as many times as I should deem sufficient. Two men were sent into the bush for some rods, who soon returned with five, about one yard in length and about the thickness of a man’s middle finger. The offenders were then ordered to kneel down before me to receive their punishment; but although they had been the cause of much uneasiness to me, I could not consent to such a severe mode of punishment,particularly as all my Dahoman people had hitherto conducted themselves well; I therefore ordered them both to be released, for they had already been pinioned. The poor fellows were very grateful for this act of kindness: the caboceers also were much gratified, and my day’s detention was beneficial in resting my lame leg.