An incident took place during my absence, which, although absurd, may be worthy of notice here, since it serves to show the ridiculous ideas and manners of the natives. During my temporary absence from the town, the man who had charge of my horse had been persuaded to accept a bribe from the caboceer to allow my horse, which was entire, to serve a very handsome mare, presented to the caboceer by the King of Dahomey. As soon as the mare was brought near my horse he became unruly and broke from his fastening and by some means tore or pulled off one of his shoes. This caused me to inquire by what means it occurred, believing that some of my people had been beating it, but every one denied all knowledge of the shoe being off. I then declared that I would punish the man in charge of my horse for neglect of duty, knowing that if he were at his post he must be aware by what means my horse had lost his shoe. This threat had the desired effect, and the man openly confessed that he had been tempted by the reward of one head of cowries,[9] (which at this place is forty-seven strings, each string containing thirty-three cowries,) or one dollar, (in this part of the country of more value than five sovereigns would be in England,) to allow it, although it is believed amongst these uncivilized beings that he is thus entirely spoiled during the rest of his life, and is rendered quite unfit to carry a rider after. This shows plainly the absence of principle, for this man who had charge of my horse was a captured slave, and had received a good education at the government school at Sierra Leone; but passion so far overcame principle, that for one dollar he would sacrifice my horse.
The caboceer, who was soon made aware of my having learned all the facts of the case, became alarmed, naturally supposing that I should feel much annoyed at such conduct, and dreading lest I should make the case known to the King of Dahomey. He was so much alarmed, indeed, that he would not venture into my presence during the whole of the afternoon, but several of his messengers visited me, requesting to know if I had every thing I wanted, and informing me that it was their master’s wish I should be furnished with any thing I might require. In the evening the caboceer and several of his head men and principal wives, and also several of his daughters, ventured to visit me. Upon approaching me, the old man in front, the whole party prostrated themselves on the ground, throwing dust over their heads and shoulders, until I had assured the caboceer of my forgiveness, at the same time telling him that had he asked me, he should have been welcome to the use of my horse. I also remonstrated with him upon the absurd notion entertained by them. To my no small surprise, the old man presented me with his youngest daughter for a wife, who was a mulatto, telling me she would be useful to wash my clothes. Upon my declining his offer, the old man seemed rather offended, until I informed him that as African wives were considered by their husbands to be also their slaves, I could not, without a breach of the laws of my own country, accept his offer. I told him, however, that I should make my proffered wife a present of a few small cotton handkerchiefs, and when I again passed through his country I should call for his daughter. This reconciled the old man, and I believe gave his favourite child much more satisfaction than leaving for ever her home to become a white man’s slave.
The old man furnished myself and people with an excellent supper and plenty of peto. I invited him to spend the evening with me, and partake of a glass of grog, which he very willingly accepted, and we parted for the night the best of friends.
July 21st.—Early in the morning, a messenger came to my house to inquire after my health, and about an hour afterwards an excellent breakfast was sent for myself and people. I had to put on the cast shoe on my horse, which was a difficult task, as I had not proper nails, and the hoofs of the African horses are so hard that a nail can scarcely be driven without the assistance of a brad-awl. Fortunately, however, I had a few common nails and a shoemaker’s hammer, so that by beating the nails a little thinner, and using the awl, I managed to fix the shoe, and prepared for my journey back to Baffo. The caboceer had ordered all his soldiers to prepare to accompany me as a sort of convoy out of the town.
All being arranged, the old man, and his numerous family and principal people, led the procession, and we passed out of the gates of the town, when immediately a running fire was commenced by the soldiers of Whagba. After accompanying me about a mile, the old man signified his intention of returning, and coming close to my horse he prostrated himself and bade me farewell; but I begged that he would dispense with such humiliation, assuring him that a white man did not require it. He expressed his high sense of the honour conferred upon him by the King sending his white stranger to visit him. He said he had heard there were white people, but never expected to see one, but hoped that I would soon again return, assuring me that my new bride should be waiting for me whenever I came back, and that every comfort should be furnished me, free of expense, whenever I might visit his country. We then shook hands and parted, the old caboceer with tears in his eyes.
I forgot to mention the names of the caboceer and head-men of Whagba;[10] they are as follow—
| Caboceer’s name | Agoa. |
| First Head-man | Cantra. |
| Second do. | Bossa. |
| Third do. | Bassa. |
| Fourth do. | Whyo. |
| Fifth Head-man | Bow. |
| Sixth do. | Baya. |
| Seventh do. | Wynho. |
| Eighth do. | Haigh, Commander-in-chief. |
| Head-women’s names—Wossee, Agwbydhe. | |
On my return to Baffo we proceeded by the side of the mountain of Kpaloko opposite to that we passed before, consequently we visited other parties to those we had met on my journey to Whagba. The first was the caboceer of Mount Laow, whose name was Minakoko. On my return I found him on the side of the path, with a number of his head men, and carriers with provisions, in all twenty-five large calabashes full together with a fine young bull. The caboceer of Massey also met me at the same place, presenting me with the same quantity of provisions as the above, which were more than we could all devour. After marching about two miles in a beautiful valley, well watered and cultivated, with Kpaloko on one side and Mount Laow on the other, as well as other mountains equally steep and difficult of access, we were again met by the caboceer of a town on the side of Mount Laow named Filaly, with fifty-five calabashes of provision, in all about twenty bushels; he also presented me with a very fine bull, and the caboceer of my guard with two goats. Kodeko-Sedgenakaw was his name, and he was one of the instances of surnames.
In passing this valley of several miles in length, and of three quarters of a mile in breadth, I could not help observing its natural defences as a military position. On our left was Kpaloko, whose steep sides are totally inaccessible, and Mount Laow, running parallel on the opposite side of the valley, equally steep and inaccessible, although not so high. Supposing this valley were walled across (which is narrow at each end) with batteries on the top, and properly armed, a disciplined army might, with proper resources, defy any number of enemies. The valley is composed of excellent soil, and rears annually four crops of the small red Indian corn. This sort, I believe, would grow in our British isles; and, with other vegetables, which grow with equal rapidity, would support an army constantly, capable of defending it during any siege, however prolonged. It has numerous springs, besides a considerable stream, which passes along in a serpentine course.
After reaching the end of this interesting valley, we were met at the market-place on the side of the path, under some large trees, by the caboceer of Kpaloko, who presented me with thirty-nine calabashes of provision and a fine bull. His name was Janko. While resting under the shade of the gigantic trees I could not help looking back with wonder on the singular work of the Supreme Ruler of Nature. The immense blocks, which might well be called mountains of granite, we had passed, thrown together in a confused mass or heap, overhanging the valley in awful grandeur, presented certainly the most interesting scene of the kind I had ever witnessed. This caboceer was very communicative and intelligent, and, I learnt, was much loved and respected by his people.