It is stated, moreover, that it depends on the will of the fetish man or priest whether a human being, or a cow, or other animal is to be sacrificed. If a human being, it is always a criminal, and only one. The usual spot where the feast takes place is in a large open field before the king’s house, under wide spreading trees, where there are two or three fetish houses. This account I had from a native of Bornou, a Mahometan, and a slave to the caboceer of Jannah.
Monday, 20th.—The morning cool. The harmattan still continues blowing. Our supply of provisions has of late been rather scanty, owing to the avarice of the fat eunuch, our guardian, who pockets as much as he can out of what the king sends us. I have threatened him two or three times, but I believe he trusts to my patient and easy disposition. Complaining to the king would get him a beating, though he is a favourite, and an useful person, well-skilled as a war-captain, and guardian of the king’s women.
Tuesday, 21st.—Cool and clear. Harmattan continues. A number of caboceers of the different towns came in to-day with their forces, and the king sent for us to come and see them. We went accordingly, and saw about twenty of these dependents, in all their dirt and debasement, who vied with each other which could have most dust, and who could kiss the ground with the greatest fervour. They were stretched at full length on their bare bellies; no cloth being allowed on this occasion over the shoulder, the body being required to be bare as far as the waist. Old Pascoe calls them the sand-eaters. After our usual compliments to the king, and shaking hands with the caboceers of Eyeo and the sand-eaters, we returned; the king promising to visit us at our house.
At 4 P.M. he came, attended by his women and our fat guardian. The women he left outside, except two; one of whom attends upon him on all occasions bearing a handsome carved gourd, having a small hole covered with a clean white cloth, to hold his Majesty’s spittle, when he is inclined to throw it away; the other with a white pot, used with us as a chamber utensil, containing his gooro nuts, since he made me a present of his black ebony box, carved in the shape of a tortoise, which he used for that purpose. After an end had been put to our complimentary inquiries after his majesty’s good health, I observed that the time was now come, within a few days only, that he had appointed for my departure. He said, that the messenger he had sent to Youri was returned; that the road was perfectly safe; that he would have me passed from one king to another; but that by the way of Nyffé he would not ensure my safety; and that if he suffered me to go where there was danger, it would cause a reflection on him. I thanked him for his kindness, and said that whatever he did was right. He then said that his messenger, and that of the caboceer of Yarro, would attend me to Youri. I thought this a proper time to hint a gentle complaint against our fat guardian, for having for some time past appropriated our provisions to his own use. The old rogue swore through thick and thin that he had given us every thing, even some goats which I had actually purchased at the market, but which he swore he had supplied himself. I told the king it was of no use talking against a rogue like his eunuch, therefore I should hold my tongue. As the king never comes to us empty-handed, he brought us a Muscovy duck, and a bag of rice; the last a scarce article, and not to be had in the market.
Wednesday, 22d.—Cold morning. Harmattan still continues. More caboceers came in yesterday, with their attendants. They waited on us this morning, and we observed that they were well provided with dust, as they had been to wait on the king early; it being the etiquette of Yourriba to hold a levee twice a-day, at six in the morning, and at two in the afternoon.
It is the custom, during the time that the caboceers from the different towns remain on their visit to the king, to act plays or pantomimes, or whatever they may be called. I shall attempt a description of the one I saw to-day. The place chosen for this pastime is the king’s park, fronting the principal door where his majesty usually sits. A fetish house occupies the left side; to the south are two very romantic and large blocks of granite, by the side of which is an old withered tree. On the east are some beautiful shady trees; and on the north his majesty’s house, from whence he views the scene. In the centre are two beautiful clumps of trees; in one of which is a tall fan-palm, overlooking the whole area, a space that may include some seven or eight hundred yards square. Under these clumps of trees were seated the actors, dressed in large sacks, covering every part of the body; the head most fantastically decorated with strips of rags, damask silk, and cotton, of as many glaring colours as it was possible. The king’s servants attended to keep the peace, and to prevent the crowd from breaking into the square in which the actors were assembled. Musicians also attended with drums, horns, and whistles, which were beaten and blown without intermission.
The first act consisted in dancing and tumbling in sacks, which they performed to admiration, considering they could not see, and had not the free use of their feet and hands. The second act consisted in catching the boa constrictor: first, one of the sack-men came in front and knelt down on his hands and feet; then came out a tall majestic figure, having on a head-dress and masque which baffle all description: it was of a glossy black colour, sometimes like a lion couchant over the crest of a helmet; at another like a black head with a large wig: at every turn he made it changed its appearance. This figure held in its right hand a sword, and by its superior dress and motions appeared to be the director of the scene, for not a word was spoken by the actors. The manager, as I shall call the tall figure, then came up to the man who was lying in the sack; another sack-dancer was brought in his sack, who by a wave of the sword was laid down at the other’s head or feet; he having unsown the end of both sacks, the two crawled into one. There was now great waving of the manager’s sword; indeed I thought that heads were going to be taken off, as all the actors were assembled round the party lying down; but in a few minutes they all cleared away except the manager, who gave two or three flourishes with his sword, when the representation of the boa constrictor began. The animal put its head out of the bag in which it was contained, attempting to bite the manager; but at a wave of the sword it threw its head in another direction to avert the blow; it then began gradually to creep out of the bag, and went through the motions of a snake in a very natural manner, though it appeared to be rather full in the belly; opening and shutting its mouth, which I suspect was the performer’s two hands, in the most natural manner imaginable. The length of the creature was spun out to about fourteen feet; and the colour and action were well represented by a covering of painted cloth, imitating that of the boa. After following the manager round the park for some time, and attempting to bite him, which he averted by a wave of the sword, a sign was made for the body of actors to come up; when the manager approaching the tail, made flourishes with his sword as if hacking at that part of the body. The snake gasped, twisted up, and seemed as if in great torture; and when nearly dead, it was shouldered by the masqued actors, still gasping and making attempts to bite, but was carried off in triumph to the fetish house.
The third act consisted of the white devil. The actors having retired to some distance in the back ground, one of them was left in the centre, whose sack falling gradually down, exposed a white head, at which all the crowd gave a shout, that rent the air; they appeared indeed to enjoy this sight, as the perfection of the actor’s art. The whole body was at last cleared of the incumbrance of the sack, when it exhibited the appearance of a human figure cast in white wax, of the middle size, miserably thin, and starved with cold. It frequently went through the motion of taking snuff, and rubbing its hands; when it walked, it was with the most awkward gait, treading as the most tender-footed white man would do in walking bare-footed, for the first time, over new frozen ground. The spectators often appealed to us, as to the excellence of the performance, and entreated I would look and be attentive to what was going on. I pretended to be fully as much pleased with this caricature of a white man as they could be, and certainly the actor burlesqued the part to admiration. This being concluded, the performers all retired to the fetish house. Between each act, we had choral songs by the king’s women, in which the assembled crowd joined their voices.
The kingdom of Yourriba extends from Puka on the south, which is within five miles of the sea, to Lagos and Whydah in that line; to the north to about the 10th degree of north latitude. It is bounded by Dahomey to the north-west, which is reckoned a tributary province: Ketto and the Maha countries on the north, Borgoo on the north-east, the Quorra or Niger to the east, Accoura, a province of Benin, on the south-east, five days’ journey distant; Jaboo to the south and west. Its tributaries are Dahomey, Alladah, Badagry, and Maha. From the sea coast to Chocho in latitude 8° 8′ north, longitude 4° 2′ east, the country rises by a gradual ascent; the soil of a strong red clay and mould, and where the woods have not been cleared, they may be considered as impervious. The trees are of great size, with most luxuriant foliage. From Chocho to Koosoo is a range of granite hills, running from west-north-west to east-south-east. These hills are of grey granite, bare of vegetation, and in solid masses. They are from four to eight hundred feet above the level of the valleys, which are narrow, winding, and well cultivated, and watered with innumerable small streams. The soil a thin black mould. From Koossoo to Eyeo, the country is less hilly, the hills in broken irregular ranges, and running principally from north-east to south-west, with here and there detached masses thrown up, as if by some great convulsion of nature. The granite of which they are composed is of a softer kind, and crumbling away with the weather. The valleys between these hills widen into plains, as they advance to the northward. In the hilly region, the trees are thinly scattered, low and stunted. The domestic animals are horses of a very small breed, and even these are scarce; the horned cattle also near the coast are of a small size: but as we approach the capital, they are as large as those in England. Many of them have humps on their shoulders, the same as those in Abyssinia and the East Indies. They have sheep of the common kind, and also those which are found in other parts of Africa; hogs, Muscovy ducks, fowls, pigeons, and a few turkeys. Of the wild animals, and the feathered race, I can say but little, having seen none of the former except monkeys; but the natives report that the hyæna and the leopard are very common. The lion, also, is found in some parts of the country; yams, Indian corn, millet, and challots; fruits, such as oranges, limes, pears, apples, &c. are plentiful throughout the kingdom. The cotton plant is cultivated to a considerable extent, and the wool manufactured into cloth. The commerce of this country is almost entirely confined to slaves, though a considerable quantity of cloth is made, and bartered with the people of the coast for rum, tobacco, European cloth, and other articles. The medium of exchange throughout the interior is the cowry shell. A prime slave at Jannah is worth in sterling money, according to the value set on the articles of barter, from three to four pounds.
The government of Yourriba is hereditary, and an absolute despotism, every subject being considered the slave of the king; but its administration is mild and humane, and appears to have been so for a long period. The only distinction of rank that obtains is that of caboceer, who may be considered as the governor of a distant town or province; the appointment of these governors depending on the will of the king. The military force consists of the caboceers and their own immediate retainers, which, allowing one hundred and fifty to each, will not give such immense armies as we have sometimes heard stated; that of Yourriba is perhaps as numerous as any of the kingdoms of Africa. I think the general appearance of the Yourribanians has less of the characteristic features of the negro than any other I have yet seen; their lips are less thick, and their noses more inclined to the aquiline shape, than negroes in general. The men are well made, and have an independent carriage, that cannot fail to attract attention. The women are almost invariably of a more ordinary appearance than the men, which may arise from their being more exposed to the sun, and the drudgery they are obliged to undergo; all the labour of the land devolving on them.