[19] The names Tetay, Bosou, and Kudjo, are all common along the coast from Whydah to Cape Coast, and are given from the days of the week on which they are born.
CHAPTER XI.
My continued Illness—The Koffo—The Langhbo—Bivouac—Keep Sentinel—Shea-butter Trees—Springs impregnated with Iron—Gijah—Poverty of the Caboceer—Hospitality of Atihoh, the Merchant—Doko—Met by the Avoga of Whydah—Etiquette with regard to the Time of entering a Town—Enter Abomey—My Servant Maurice takes to his Bed—Sudden Change in the Temperature—Visit to the King—His gratification at my safe Return—My Conversation with his Majesty—His Views with regard to the Slave Trade—His desire to cede Whydah to the English Government—Dictates a Letter to me to that effect—His Costly Tobes—Singular Piece of Patch-Work.
August 21st.—Early in the morning I got up to prepare for the march, but although the attack of ague had been lighter than on the previous night, I still felt extremely weak and in low spirits. To remedy this, I again resorted to another dose of sedative of opium, which in a short time operated effectually. The caboceers and a great part of the population accompanied me some distance out of the town, during which the Jallakoo soldiers kept up a constant but irregular fire of musketry. The old man then shook hands, expressing every good wish for my future success, hoping that I should soon return to his country again, that he might see me once more before he should die. This solemn expression made for a time a deep impression on my mind. Though in a comparatively savage state this venerable patriarch was conscious that the hand of death would soon be upon him.
Our bearing was now SS.W. and the plain thickly wooded with shea-butter and other trees. The road was extremely bad, with rocks resembling petrified wood of very fine grain with iron-stone rock. The grass was eight feet long and resembled reeds. At ten miles and a half we crossed the river Koffo, running NN.E. and at seventeen and a half we crossed the river Langhbo, running eastward. Being much fatigued, and still suffering from fever, and no town or village near, we resolved to encamp on the plain, near this river, where we were sure of obtaining water. The grass being extremely long, we were obliged to cut it down, wherever a party of ten or a dozen men selected a place to lie down. Watch fires were also kindled around the camp, and fortunately, from the ample means afforded at Jallakoo, we were pretty well stocked with provisions for one night at least.
This place not being far distant from the Annagoo country, which people in former times had frequently sent kidnapping parties stealthily into the outskirts of the Dahoman kingdom, it was considered necessary to keep sentinels and outposts during the night. Every man also examined his piece to ascertain if the priming were good. I also examined the caps of my own piece, but this seemed the reverse of satisfactory.
The caboceer asked me if I was afraid to trust myself with him, assuring me that my guard, he knew, would perish to a man before they would allow me to be molested. I admitted his assertion, but reminded him that it was always prudent to be, as far as possible, prepared for the worst. Still he assured me that his men were quite sufficient for our protection. My cook immediately commenced preparing my supper of boiled fowls and rice, with a few shalots, which made an agreeable soup. This, although suffering much from fever, I relished much. I then took another dose of opium, and soon under its powerful influence fell fast asleep.
August 22d.—Early in the morning we again prepared for the march. Several of my men felt the effects of sleeping on the wet ground. I also for a time felt a cold, shivering sensation, but before mounting my horse, I took some James’s powder, and, as soon as the sun arose, I got into a copious perspiration, which considerably relieved me. Our bearing was now SS.E.; the plain still studded with shea butter-trees and small shrubs; the road still bad, and worn very deep, like narrow sheep-tracks.
After marching for twelve miles very rapidly among small rocks, and across several deeply sunken streams, we passed a great number of shea butter-trees, which had been lately scorched to destroy the fruit. Here we found several excellent springs, impregnated with iron, strongly carbonized, of which I took a copious draught, which proved very refreshing to me. The road now began to improve, the surface changing into clay and sand of a drab colour. The stream, for the distance of two miles, ran along the path, which formed a channel. This gave my poor fellows an opportunity of cooling their feet, now much cut and bruised from the bad roads. I halted here for nearly an hour to give them an opportunity of refreshing themselves, and filling their calabashes with this water, which was much superior to that which we were carrying. During the whole of this time, many of my men remained standing in the water.
At twenty miles we arrived at the town of Gijah, which is a fine open town of considerable size. The caboceer, though represented to be a very good and generous character, was extremely poor, consequently, after calling upon him, and the usual forms of reception had been observed, we accepted the kind invitation of a wealthy merchant named Atihoh, who entertained us in a most courteous manner, and in less than an hour supplied us with abundance of provisions ready cooked, with a calabash filled with the finest gwabas I ever saw, and plenty of very good peto. During the evening the caboceer, Agballah, and his head men, sent me ten large calabashes filled with provision. He did not visit me till I sent for him, assigning as a reason that he was ashamed of his poverty.