Importance of the Caboceer of Savalu—Curiosity of the Natives—State Constables—Military Dance—Introduction to the Fetish-women—Manufactures—Crane-shooting—Present by Fetish-women—Hospitality of the Caboceer—His Name and those of his Head Men—Wild Grapes—The Zoka—Shrubs—Swim across the Zoka—Mode of Transporting my Luggage—Difficulty in getting my Horse across—Fearlessness of the Dahoman Female Carriers—Bad Roads—Jallakoo—Reception by the Caboceer—My Illness—Appear in Regimentals before the Caboceer—Concern evinced on account of my Illness—Description of the Town—Agriculture—Caboceer’s Name and those of his Head Men—Presents to the Caboceer.
August 18th.—We were visited early by the caboceer, who came to wish us good morning, bringing with him another small flask of rum, with which we drank each other’s health. He seemed very desirous to acquaint me with his wealth and power, explaining that he held, under the King of Dahomey, a discretionary power superior to any other caboceer, and also the government of several neighbouring towns in the Mahee country, as well as several large towns in his own country (Annagoo), which he assisted the Dahomans in subduing. Savalu is the frontier town of the Annagoo country, the natives of which are always considered a lawless, marauding people, and habituated to acts of extreme cruelty.
In a short time breakfast was brought; after partaking of which we were again invited to the market-place, where many thousands, both old and young, were assembled to see the white man. The crowd was so great, that the ground-keepers were entirely overpowered, although they used their immense whips with great violence and dexterity. It is a singular fact, that the state constables in nearly all the large towns of the Dahoman, Mahee, Fellattah, and Annagoo countries, are selected from deformed persons. Many of them are armed with a bullock’s tail dried with the skin on, and the long hair shaven off. This is a merciless weapon when used with both hands, which is frequently the case when authority is resisted. The offending parties are compelled to kneel down, and to place a hand on each knee, the body bending forward towards the constable, who inflicts his blows longitudinally on the back. This is a very severe punishment, and is the mode adopted for minor offences through the whole Dahoman kingdom. A dozen is the greatest number I ever knew inflicted at one time on the same person.
Some soldiers having been stationed to assist in keeping the ground, something like order was restored, and the amusements commenced by the caboceer circling round in his hammock, as on the previous afternoon. During this a continual firing was kept up. He afterwards got out of his hammock, and advanced within a few yards of me, when, as usual, he went through the regular forms of prostration. He then examined my horse and trappings, apparently with great interest. His soldiers and head men then commenced dancing; and, as a matter of courtesy, my caboceer condescended to dance with the same party. Their music was rude, but not very unpleasant; they were wind instruments, similar to the hautboy, accompanied with drums and calabashes, or gourds, covered with net-work strung with human teeth.
The fetish-women, who were at this period keeping up their annual custom, which lasts during a whole moon, were then introduced. They appeared to be the finest and handsomest women in the place. They were richly ornamented with coral and brass bracelets or armlets, apparently of Bornouese manufacture. Each wore, besides a country cloth, a large silk handkerchief of European manufacture. I could scarcely refrain from expressing my regret at seeing them prostrate themselves, and besmearing themselves with dirt, after the pains which they had taken to appear so neat and clean before this form of humiliation.
As soon as this ceremony was finished, the whole party repeated a short prayer, after which they commenced a dance by themselves, singing some particular song, to which they kept time by clapping their hands against those of their partner. My own soldiers next commenced dancing, when they were joined by the principal men of Savalu, who considered themselves highly honoured by being allowed to dance with my Dahoman soldiers.
After this sort of amusement had been concluded, I presented both parties of soldiers with some rum, and took a stroll round the town to examine the markets, and observe their mode of manufacture. This day, however, had been set apart by order of the caboceer as a holiday, so that scarcely any thing was exposed for sale in the market. However, I had an opportunity of seeing the blacksmith and weaver at work. The weavers here use a more perfect loom than the Fellattahs, and are also much superior to any I observed in the Mahee country. At Savalu they weave a sort of webbing similar to some of the fine silk webbing used for gentlemen’s braces; but, upon a close inspection, I found that several of the principal weavers used European manufactured thread, both silk and cotton.
In the whole of the countries I have visited, either on the coast, or in the interior, they have no other method of spinning than by the ancient distaff. I have often wondered at this, for their looms are exactly on the same principle as those of Europe. They knit nightcaps in great quantities here; and during my stay at Baffo a man knitted me a pair of socks, from a pair I lent him as a pattern. These are still in my possession.
I asked permission to shoot some cranes in the cranery we passed yesterday, but the caboceer would only allow me to shoot the grey ones. The white cranes, he said, were the fetish-men to the grey ones. The caboceer accompanied me, and seemed much surprised at my killing one with so small a gun on the top of so high a tree, particularly as he had never seen small shot used before. They generally use iron bullets, rudely forged. I offered to shoot one with a gun belonging to the principal warrior of my guard, but this he peremptorily refused, declaring “that if white man fired out of his gun, black man can never again kill any thing with the same piece.” To convince him of his error, I offered to let him have a shot with mine, but even this he declined. I afterwards learnt that they will not even allow their own comrades to fire out of their guns.
Upon my return home I found my court-yard covered with dishes of provision, smoking hot, the merchants as well as the caboceer having sent numerous dishes, as well as plenty of peto for my people to drink. Soon after we had finished our meal, we were beset with fetish-women, bringing small presents, received by them as tithes, on the last market-day. Tithes are actually customary to fetish-women even in Abomey. Although their present be ever so trifling, the acceptor is considered as under a religious obligation to make a return of tenfold value.