At four miles, the path changing to east, we crossed a fine brook, named Awadakoo, the small tributary streams of which were strongly impregnated with iron. In the valley we found numerous blocks of pebbles combined together with iron. At five miles we passed through the ruins of the ancient town of Kpaloko, where the King was killed, as well as the King of Eyo, who succeeded the former king of that country, who had brought his army to the plains of Paweea, where his army was destroyed, as I have before mentioned. Kpaloko is of very curious formation, being nearly perpendicular at the sides, and the top like an acute arch. This mountain seems formed of a succession of concave scales, varying in thickness from twenty to thirty feet, and placed one upon another. These scales are formed of very hard granite of large grain. Several of these scales had parted near the centre of the top longitudinally, and slipped from their position down the side of the mountain, resting with their lower edges on the ground, and forming buttresses of five hundred feet long, and seventy feet high, leaving a space of about forty-eight feet from the foot of the mountain, or block, to the foot of the buttress.
On examining the ruins of this large town, I found not one hut left standing, showing the sad and desolating effects of war. This place had once the character of being the greatest manufacturing town in the kingdom of Mahee, extending her commerce through nearly the whole of that country, as well as that of Annagoo. Now all was silent as death—not a note or flutter even of any thing of the winged tribe was heard. The intense heat of the sun, without a breath of air, rendered the scene truly mournful and solitary. I could not help reflecting upon the natural attachment of the natives to particular spots, for although this town had been destroyed for years, the surviving natives still cultivated the gardens and the land formerly occupied by their ancestors and relatives. This circumstance is, however, little to be wondered at, for each house is invariably the family sepulchre.
The path now changed its bearing to N.E. Being the rainy season, the ground was very moist. And there are many good and permanent springs, whose streams run longitudinally with the mountain, from which the natives of the towns, now built on the top of the mountain, receive their supplies when their tanks which are formed by nature on the top of the mountain are exhausted. At six miles the path ran NN.E., with rock on both sides, Mount Koliko, and the town of the same name, being close on our left. The caboceer met us in the path with provision and water, as well as some peto for our refreshment.
After resting a quarter of an hour, we again proceeded on our march along the side of a smooth granite rock, so much on the dip or incline that my horse could scarcely keep his footing, though he was very sure-footed. After passing about a quarter of a mile over this dangerous road, the path ran along a narrow and small stream of clear water, with pebbly bottom. This reminded me of some of my native glens, the haunts of my boyhood. The rich luxuriant shrubs and trees intermingled overhead, forming festoons, woven together by various running plants of the sweetest odour, rendered this part of the path truly delightful and refreshing.
At seven miles the path changed to N. 60° W., and we crossed a rapid stream, named Nanamie, running N. At seven miles and a half we passed over a granite mountain, with good spring wells on the top. At eight miles the valley became narrow, with high mountains on each side of the path. The mountain on the left is named Laow, as is also the town. The caboceer, with his attendants and soldiers, met us in the path, with plenty of provisions and water, as well as rum, of which my people drank very freely. Having presented this caboceer with some trinkets and a flask of rum, we resumed our journey. The character of this mountain differs considerably from those in the neighbourhood, being divided into different sections of various thickness and strata, running N.E. and S.W., at a dip of 12° towards E. by S.
At eight miles and a half, NN.W., and at nine miles, NN.E., I noticed a fine brook and cascade, running south, named Kossieklanan; and on the east side, I observed a mountain, named Tamargee, of considerable magnitude. Here the palm and shea butter-tree grow in great abundance, but the butter-trees have all undergone the operation of scorching. At ten miles and a half I observed a chain of mountains, running north and south, distant from the path two miles; the northernmost of these is named Sawee.
On these mountains is a sort of yellow and very fine grass, equal to the finest needles, and about two feet high, growing in tufts similar to rushes. It appears at a distance as if the herbage were entirely scorched, being about the colour of yellow ochre. A shrub of the same colour grows here, about ten feet high, with leaves placed on the tree very similarly to our box, but about three times the length.
At twelve miles and a half, and distant from the path two miles to the right, are the mountains Lofo and Apakissa; and at thirteen miles, a mountain, named Bowha, close on the right of the path. Here is in the path a very fine spring, at the temperature of 62°, the water quite clear and less impregnated with iron than most others.
At fifteen miles Mount Koglo rose before us, eighteen hundred feet high, close to the left of the path, with a very large town on the top. Here we were not met by the caboceer or any of his people, as in other towns belonging to the King of Dahomey, but found they had been making bad fetish, as the natives term it, in the path. They had killed a white fowl and filled an earthen pot with palm-oil and some other composition, sticking the feathers into this composition and placing the pot in the path. This is considered by them to be one of the greatest insults which can be offered. However, I endeavoured to convince them that their bad fetish was of no avail. Still my people seemed rather alarmed in passing it, turning some distance out of the path.
A little farther on, we came to a market-place, attended only by some few women selling peto; but as these people were from the town of Koglo, the caboceer gave strict injunctions that none of our party should purchase anything. A messenger was immediately despatched to Abomey to inform the King of the conduct of the caboceer of Koglo, who, no doubt, will pay dearly for his bad fetish to the King’s stranger; they are sure to be invaded next year. They were defeated this year, but since that period the caboceer died, and his successor denies his allegiance to the King of Dahomey; but he will no doubt be glad to succumb, after a severe chastisement. At seventeen miles we came upon a brook named Lothay, running east, and a fine extensive plain to the eastward.