It was now about sunset, and I was very anxious to proceed, for, as my readers will recollect, there is no twilight within the tropics, therefore as soon as the sun disappears from the horizon all becomes dark as midnight. We accordingly resumed our march, and at thirty-four miles arrived at the town of Setta, where we were met by all the inhabitants. A number of the caboceer’s people met us with torches, it being rather dark. Here the crowd was so great, as to prevent my progress for upwards of half an hour. After this we advanced to the market-place, which is under the shade of three large trees, with branches of enormous extent. Here they again commenced dancing, being generally joined by the inhabitants of the town. I now dismounted, and seated myself under one of the trees till this ceremony was finished, when I presented the captain of each party of soldiers with a couple of flasks of rum, to give a dram to each of their men, or at least to give them each a taste; after which, we were shown to our quarters. These were much better than I expected. Being very tired, I was soon stretched on my mat, but was much disturbed by the caboceer sending a band of picked musicians, with instruments something similar to the hautboy. Although the sounds were not void of melody, still their absence to me at this time would have been a great relief; but as I knew they were sent with a view to amuse me, I bore the annoyance with tolerable grace.
In about an hour after entering my quarters, numerous large calabashes of provisions of various descriptions, with plenty of peto and water, were brought into the court-yard, and placed in front of my quarters. This was a present from the caboceer for myself and soldiers. After the usual forms of tasting had been gone through, I ordered the provision to be divided amongst my soldiers and private servants, of course reserving some for myself. Finding my servant Maurice in a feverish state I gave him some medicine, in hopes that a night’s rest might improve his condition, and after a few visits from different parties of influence in Setta, I was allowed to retire to rest. I felt thankful to be left alone, and in a few minutes fell asleep, forgetting once more the anxieties and cares of my chequered life. My slumbers were sweet and refreshing, and my little mat was to me equal to a bed of down, and much more convenient, as it could be rolled up like a sheet of paper, and carried in the hand.
July 10th.—Early in the morning, I was awakened by the caboceer’s messenger, who had been sent to inquire after my health. Thank God, I was well and quite refreshed, and felt no longer the fatigue of the previous day’s journey. Not so, however, my poor white servant: he was still suffering much, and was in a high fever. I again administered James’s fever powder and sedative of opium. Soon after the messenger’s return the caboceer and principal officers came to my house, or quarters, to pay their morning compliments, and palaver for about three quarters of an hour. During this time I gave each of them a glass of rum. They then retired, and in a short time returned with an enormous quantity of provisions for our breakfast. The dishes, or calabashes, containing the food, were all placed on the ground, in the yard in front of my house, in order according to the different sizes.
When this arrangement was finished the chief caboceer and attendants advanced and placed themselves before me, at the distance of about four yards. They then knelt down on both knees, my own captain or caboceer following the same example, accompanied by several of his principal officials and headmen. These, however, placed themselves in my front, facing the former party. The caboceer of Setta then commenced a very clever complimentary speech, declaring his own great satisfaction, as well as that of all his people, at being honoured with a visit from the King’s English stranger; and at the same time expressing a hope that I and other Englishmen might again frequently visit his country. Thanks were returned by the captain of my guard in the name of his Majesty the King of Dahomey. Both parties then prostrated themselves, kissing the ground and throwing dust over their heads, and rubbing themselves all over the head and arms with the same. Next he presented me with the food which had been sent, the tasters touching each dish as they were named, similar to the mode of touching and calling off messes in a soldier’s mess-room. The pots and calabashes amounted in all to thirty-seven in number, some containing as much as an English bushel.
The natives are in general very good cooks, and contrive to make a great number of dishes from the same material. Of the animals cooked were bullocks, roasted and boiled, as well as stewed, sheep, goats, venison, and the young elephant, pork both roasted and boiled, fowls, Guinea fowls, Muscovy ducks, and turkeys; and of vegetables, yams, manioc, sweet potato, India corn or maize, with numerous varieties of underground peas, as well as many other sorts above ground. Their food is generally highly seasoned with pepper and palm-oil, which, when fresh, has an excellent flavour, and is very wholesome.
It should always be remembered, that the palm-oil imported into England is not the same as that used by the natives. The oil sent to England is merely the outside of the nut, similar to the outside of a plum or any other stone fruit. The oil exported is extracted from this pulp, but the palm-oil used here in cooking is extracted from the kernel taken out of the stone of the palm-nut. It is equal to our best salad oil. A vegetable called accro, of great utility, is generally used in soups. It is boiled till quite stringy, and is given to invalids. It is said to be very strengthening. Shalots and different sorts of pepper are also much used, as well as bananas and plantains.
After the usual ceremony of presenting me with provisions had been gone through, and I had thanked my generous host, the caboceer and his attendants repeated the same form of prostration and throwing dust over their heads, and rubbing dust over the arms and head, acknowledging my thanks. The caboceer’s and my own taster now commenced tasting every dish, in order to shew me that everything was good and wholesome. Then, after drinking water with the caboceer, as a mark of sincere friendship, we were left to devour our food, my soldiers and other people using their naked fingers even in eating stews and soups, and each individual endeavouring to cope with his comrade. We were also furnished with plenty of peto, which is here manufactured in a superior manner.
After breakfast several Dahoman traders came to pay court to me. One of them presented me with a very large Guinea fowl, quite black, with jet black legs. The caboceer also presented me with two of the common Guinea fowl, and some of the traders or merchants from Dahomey subscribed and purchased some goats, and some peto, which they presented to me. In fact, during the whole day presents were arriving from different parties. Amongst them was a very old woman, apparently about ninety years of age, and nearly blind. This poor old creature, anxious to show her loyalty to the King and respect for his stranger, presented me with two eggs and four strings of cowries, in all probability all that she possessed in the world. She expressed her shame at making so small a present, but I assured her that a white man did not estimate a gift according to its intrinsic value, but according to the intention with which it was bestowed, and told her to remember that the Great Fetish above, God Almighty (for they have an idea of such a Being) did not estimate our gifts by their magnitude, but by the purity and sincerity of the heart. In return for her present I gave her as much as I did to those who had given me a hundred times the value. This seemed to give universal satisfaction to the multitude assembled. After receiving the presents the poor old woman prostrated herself after the manner of her country, and remained in a kneeling posture till she had sung a song in praise of the white stranger.
A little harmless deception was here attempted to be played off at my expense by one of the soldiers of my guard. This young man was one of the King’s huntsmen, and being anxious to compete with the others who made me presents, by some means procured a very large Guinea fowl. Making a hole through the neck of the bird with a knife, or some similar instrument, he assured me upon presenting it to me, that he always shot his birds in the neck, and with bullets. This I knew was not true; and upon making some further inquiries, with a view to ascertain whether this was the suggestion of his own brain or proceeded from others, I learnt that he had been prompted by others, probably with a view to raise my opinion of their superior skill in shooting. I soon convinced them, however, of my total disbelief of their being able to strike any prescribed part of a bird of much larger dimensions than the Guinea fowl, and offered the man ten head of cowries if he would even hit a bird in the neck fastened to a peg stuck into the ground. The caboceer, however, refused to allow him to try. Of course this objection saved the young huntsman’s credit for the present, but I had made up my mind to test his capabilities on the first occasion which might present itself. In the meantime I made him a present of a paper of needles and a thimble for the fowl, for which he seemed very grateful.
Having received so much kindness from everybody in this place, I determined to make a general distribution of needles, having upwards of six thousand with me for the purpose of giving away. News to that effect soon spread through the town, so that my court-yard was soon filled, and hundreds waited outside. With some difficulty I cleared a small space for myself to sit down and distribute my needles, giving four needles to grown women and two to female children; but I soon found several of the young ones come a second time. As soon as the caboceer became aware of this, he gave orders that any one who should be detected coming a second time should be flogged. This threat had the desired effect; still a considerable time elapsed before I had finished making my presents to the female portion of the assemblage. The caboceer very judiciously hinted the necessity of either reducing the distribution in number, or confining it to the old people, remarking that I had many other towns and countries yet to pass through. This advice was well timed, and I forthwith acted upon it, although some hundreds arrived after I had left off.