It appeared this reptile had descended the tamarind, and had ascended a much larger tree of a different description. I immediately dismounted, and unstrapped my double-barrelled carbine, which was heavily charged, one barrel with swan-shot, and the other with smaller shot. The snake was certainly of enormous dimensions, and remained quite motionless. I took a steady aim at the neck, just behind its head, and fired the charge of slugs effectually, though for some time it seemed to have but a slight effect upon it, for it raised its head, and coiled the fore-part of the body round another branch of the tree; but the spine being injured, it soon appeared to lose strength, and the tail, which was coiled round a limb, began to relax. It again uncoiled its fore-part, which hung down towards the ground. I then took my sword, which I had sharpened equal to a razor, and cut the head off at one stroke; but even then the people would not venture to touch it with their hands to pull it down, till I gave them a piece of small cord, which I invariably carried in my pocket. This was fastened round the body, and they then succeeded in pulling it down.
The monster was of the boa tribe, and measured thirty-one feet long, but the natives told me they had seen them much larger. My gun and sword excited great astonishment amongst the strangers, who were very anxious again to hear the noise. They seemed to fancy that it was the noise which killed the object the muzzle of the gun was directed towards; this I did not contradict. Here we were detained nearly an hour, when we again commenced our march, I and my people keeping a cautious look-out lest some more of our late antagonist’s companions might be in our immediate neighbourhood.
We were soon clear of the bush, and our adventure speedily forgotten. At sixteen miles we arrived at a small kroom, the houses of which were all built of a circular form, the walls covered with a deep red clay, and many of the principal houses ornamented with different figures and hieroglyphics. The chief manufacture in this kroom is earthen pots of a superior description and jet-black polish. Pipes, or rather pipe-heads, are also manufactured here, though little tobacco reaches this place; but I learned that these pipes are sent even to Badagry. Their form is like the meerschaum. The natives also manufacture a very ingenious sort of lamp, in which palm-oil is used.
The chief of this kroom had in his possession a pot which attracted my notice. It was of copper, and evidently of Spanish manufacture. It had been in the possession of his family, it appeared, for many years, but he could not inform me from whom they had obtained it. There exists in this neighbourhood a species of small black deer, not larger than a small English terrier, some of which are here domesticated like the goat.
The country also abounds with larger deer of different descriptions, one of which I this day had the satisfaction of shooting, having cautiously crept behind a bush very near to him. There were a doe and fawn of the same description, at a short distance, grazing. This chance would have supplied us with plenty of venison for consumption for several days could we have kept it fresh. What we did not require the first day we broiled in the smoke, and kept it very well for the second day. This is the method adopted by the natives in drying and preserving both meat and fish. Even when a human head is desired to be preserved, the brains are extracted through the spinal connexion and the head held on the end of a stick in the smoke till it becomes quite hard and dry. I have seen some thousands preserved in this way in Dahomey.
Wild carnivorous animals are very numerous here, and often make awful havoc amongst the stock of cattle, though traps of various inventions are employed (some of which would do credit to English ingenuity) to destroy them. An immense beam, with long spikes of hard wood fixed in it, is suspended about seven feet high. This beam rests on a pivot at each end. When the animal passes under and between the two pivots, he treads upon a lever which throws the beam off the pivots, and it falls with full weight on the animal, forcing the spikes their full length into its body. They have also man-traps of a very singular construction: these, though simple, are the most efficient I ever saw. They are always placed in situations where none but trespassers can be injured. This trap is generally set in a fence, so that a person climbing over must come in contact with a certain part of it, which secures a piece of wood connected with another of about seven feet long, which latter is bent about two feet out of its natural position. The slightest touch releases this, and the spring resumes its natural position in a moment. In doing so it strikes the intruder on the shins with such violence as frequently to break both legs.
At twenty-six miles we arrived at the town of Ongo, where we found the chief awaiting our arrival, about half a mile out of the town, with a number of horsemen and spearmen. Upon perceiving us he immediately advanced towards us at a gallop, the spearmen keeping pace with the others, though on foot. When within a few yards of us the whole cavalcade suddenly halted, and the chief and his principal officers dismounted, and all, except himself, prostrated themselves, remaining in that position till they were told to rise. The chief merely held out his hand, repeating the words, “Sinou, sinou,” which means, How are you?—how are you?—and gave my hand a hearty shake, bidding us welcome to his town. He said he had been made aware of our approach, and had prepared himself to meet us. He declared himself glad to see a white man, Terrasso-weea, he stated, was his particular friend, and had a white man with him, but not a proper white man like myself. He told me that Terrasso-weea’s trading party were all good men, and were his brothers, meaning that they were all Mahomedans.
Here we remained to cook some provisions. We were fortunate enough to obtain in exchange for a pair of scissors some good yams and a small grass bag of rice, containing about a pound. We also got plenty of water, which was tolerably good, but of a bitterish taste. This is frequently the case when the water is stagnant, and a certain sort of wood grows on its margin. Whether this is injurious or not I am not able to say, as I did not experience any evil effects myself, nor any of my party, from its use. The country now became delightful, and the monotony of a dreary plain was relieved at intervals by table mountains in various directions, nearly all of one height, not exceeding nine thousand feet.
This place is neatly built for an African town, and with considerable regularity of formation as regards the market-places for the sale of different commodities. The houses are very clean, and are ornamented with various designs, similar to those I have just described. The horse, as I have already said, invariably forms a part of the family, and is treated much better than on the coast, where they are not bred, but brought from the interior. Even here, however, many of the poor animals are very lean for want of sufficient food, as they are always tied by the foot, and are never allowed their liberty.