The chief possesses a great number of domestic slaves, but sells none of them. They are chiefly employed in trading with the surrounding towns and in tilling the soil, which is in a high state of cultivation, to a considerable distance round. Palm-oil is manufactured here, and is actually transported, by the tributary navigable streams, to the Niger, or Joleeba, the name by which it is here known. Here it is not known either by the name of Quarra or Niger, but this circumstance is not at all surprising, for I find that all the rivers have different names in the various countries through which they flow. I have also, in many instances, found two places with the same name, at no very great distance from each other; but, in fact, the same may be observed in our own country. Native iron and nitre were abundant in this market.
Horses here invariably make part of the family, being fastened to a peg driven into the ground or floor, by the hind foot, having only about a foot of rope. The children are often seen playing between the legs of the animal, with which it seems much pleased, often nibbling at their heads with its lips, or licking their faces, as a spaniel would.
The chief seemed very anxious to acquaint us with every thing which might tend to our gratification; and, though he was the principal trader himself, he accompanied us through every part of the town. Close to the town is a lake, supplied partly by a small stream, and partly by the heavy rains during the season. On this lake were a number of large trees, upon which were the nests of the pelican, a great number of which we saw roosting on the branches. I had never seen the nest of the pelican on a tree since I was in Egga, a town on the banks of the Niger, when I was there with the late unfortunate expedition under Captain Trotter. I then shot several on the trees; but here, at Zabakano, the inhabitants had an objection to my killing any of them; I could not therefore secure a specimen. Pigeons were very numerous here, both the wood-pigeon and the turtle-dove. The chief did not object to my shooting these, so I soon secured sufficient for my party for this and the following day. We were obliged to cook them immediately.
We were, however, very kindly treated by the chief or gadadoo, who strongly urged us to remain a day with him. This kind treatment seemed to inspire my poor fellows with fresh courage and animation; in fact, it seemed to act as a fresh stimulus to all of us. The natives were quite delighted with the sport of pigeon-shooting, for one or two of them were acquainted with such guns as had found their way to this town, and several others in the neighbourhood, but of the locks they had no idea; for guns are not allowed to be brought here by way of trade in a perfect state, and even were they, still without powder they would be useless.
The chief has a very large number of wives, but the principal portion of them are merely employed as his domestic slaves, as indeed are all the wives of the uncivilized Africans. The civilized portion is very limited, even on the coast. The gadadoo made me a very liberal offer for my carbine, but I told him that it would not be of so much service to him as his bow or sabre, unless he had a supply of ammunition; that as I had visited his country partly with a view to ascertain what articles would be most likely to suit their markets, I should, as soon as possible, return with a large stock of suitable merchandise. A story like this was much more likely to be believed amongst savages than any other excuse I could make for visiting their country. If told that my object was merely for scientific purposes, they would not have understood me, and would have been more likely to look upon me with suspicion, as they cannot believe any body can take interest about any thing not of a pecuniary nature.
This town contains about nine thousand inhabitants; it is clean and open, but I was informed that after the conclusion of the rainy season fever and small-pox are very prevalent. Small-pox is much dreaded by the natives, and seems to be the principal disease here. I have not observed one case of elephantiasis since leaving Accra, although at Whydah a disease of a similar nature is prevalent, affecting the head, and not unfrequently enlarging the forehead and eyebrows so much as totally to obscure vision. This distortion of nature, as may be supposed, has an extremely repulsive appearance.
After remaining about an hour and a half, I gave the gadadoo some small presents, which he received with apparent satisfaction. He and his head men, as well as his two hundred mounted soldiers, then conveyed me some distance from the town, going through their manœuvres of attack at the same time. This was merely a wild rush without any order or discipline, and so far from their being (as has been represented) a formidable force, ten well-mounted and well-disciplined horsemen would easily annihilate the whole party.
Here we parted from the most generous and affable chief we had met with since leaving the Mountains of Kong. During this day’s journey, our bearing changed from N. 45° W. to 12° 10°, 35°, 43°, and due West (true). The country now became very pleasant, and the path not so rough under foot. Around us in different directions were numerous hills, giving a relief to the dull sameness of a flat, dreary plain. We crossed several small clear streams, some of which had worn their channels nine or ten feet deep.
At fourteen miles we arrived at the small town of Grooba. Here the old chief, or head man, received us very kindly; doubtless, he had received a message which prompted this friendly reception. This town is clean and neat for an African town. The only manufacture of note here is cotton tobes, but different in pattern to the cloths manufactured in the Kong Mountains, which are invariably striped with various colours; but here the cloth is all either blue or white, similar to the tobes worn by the Mandingo traders who visit Sierra Leone. Here the blacksmith plies his trade, but only for the accommodation of the inhabitants of the town. A sort of cloth is also manufactured from the inner bark of a certain tree, which is very strong and durable, and of various colours. This when woven into cloth has a very rich appearance; long sashes or girdles of the same material are worn by most of the influential persons.
At seventeen miles we halted by a small stream and kindled a fire, where we cooked some of our pigeons, and had an excellent dinner. We afterwards resumed our journey, and at twenty-eight miles arrived at the town of Sagbo. Around this town the country is well cultivated, and the drilling system seemed generally adopted. This is, doubtless, an advantage during the rainy season. Four different sorts of maize are cultivated here, as well as two sorts of rice, white and red. Here they have a better mode of cleaning and preparing the rice for use than any other place I have yet visited. The kolla-nut is abundant, as also the palm and shea-butter nut. Indigo is cultivated, and rudely manufactured in nearly all the towns we passed since leaving the Mahee country.