After breakfast, the caboceer wished me to walk round his town with him—seeming anxious to gratify his people with a glimpse or sight of the King’s stranger. This was just what I wished, as I was anxious to acquire as much information as possible during the short time I had to spare. Accordingly we visited the markets, which were well supplied with provisions and articles of manufacture. I noticed amongst other things some English chequered handkerchiefs. Native cloth, of various quality and colours, was exposed for sale. Kaom, or saltpetre, is very abundant in the Kong mountains, and is sold in the markets in all the towns in the vicinity. It is used as medicine, and, as in England, is much in requisition for cattle. Deer skins of various species are sold in the market, also nuts of various sorts, as well as different kinds of beans and peas. Ginger is very abundant in this neighbourhood, and is sold at about eight-pence per Winchester bushel. The corn is now nearly ripe, and some of the Guinea corn is as much as ten feet high, so that the town is entirely concealed until the fence, which invariably encloses the African towns on the plain, is passed. The prickly bush at Abomey is planted like a double hedge round the town, and is about ten yards wide, so that to a European it would seem a matter of impossibility ever to break through it. The female soldiers of Dahomey, however, as I have already mentioned, are capable of taking one of these towns with apparently little trouble.
The owners of the numerous herds of cattle keep them in folds or pens in the town, and the dung is preserved for manure. They are excellent farmers, even in this remote part, where they never can have had intercourse with any civilized being. They also manufacture very good cloth, although their method is certainly tedious, the thread being spun by the distaff, and their loom being of a very simple construction, though upon the same principle as our linen looms in England. Their web is necessarily narrow, not exceeding six inches. As they have not yet found out the use of the shuttle, they merely hand the reel through the shade from one side to the other in putting in the weft; and instead of treadles to set the foot upon, they use two loops, which are suspended from the treadles, into which they put their big toes, which act upon the same principle as the treadle. The warp is not rolled round a beam, as in our looms, but kept at its extreme length, and the farther end is made fast to a large stone or heavy substance, which is gradually drawn towards the weaver as he progresses in his work.
Iron is very good in this neighbourhood, and is worked with considerable skill. Their implements for agricultural purposes are much superior to those manufactured nearer the coast. Sweet potatoes, yams, and manioc or cassada, are cultivated here with great success.
The different articles sold in the market are nearly the same as I have already mentioned at Whydah. I was amused upon being shown a patakoo or large hyæna trap, from the simplicity of its construction. It is about twenty feet long and two feet broad. The walls are thick and strong. The trap is constructed upon the same principle as some of those used in England for catching various sorts of vermin without destroying or injuring them. A goat or young kid is placed in a cage in the trap, at the farthest extremity from the entrance, and the hyæna, or panther, (whichever may happen to pass,) is attracted by the bleating of the kid. Upon entering the trap, it must step on a board with a string attached, the other end of which is connected with a trigger which suspends a sliding door. Upon the trigger being pulled, the sliding door immediately drops and incloses the animal. It is then sometimes maimed or baited with dogs.
Dinner-time had now arrived, and we returned to our quarters, when it was soon afterwards brought in, and consisted of one large hog, three goats, sixteen fowls, and a fine bullock, all which were served up in excellent style, with plenty of dabadab and kankie, and round balls of cakes made with meal and palm oil, baked or roasted together with abundance of peto.
After dinner, the caboceer expressed a desire to see me in uniform, and wished also that the ceremony of receiving me on entering his town should be repeated as the King’s stranger, similar to my reception on the previous evening. This requisition was not very agreeable to me, as my white man Maurice was still very ill and in low spirits. However, I prepared myself soon after dinner, and mounted my little charger. The caboceer examined my horse and accoutrements very minutely, as also my appointments. My sword, large knife, as they called it, excited much admiration from its brightness, and above all, for its pliability in bending and again resuming its original form. Their short swords are made of iron, but have no spring in them. He next examined my double-barrelled gun, and seemed much astonished at the percussion caps, believing that the cap alone was also the charge, no doubt from its loud report. After explaining it to him, he seemed much gratified.
We then proceeded out of the town, one half of my guard in front, and the other in my rear, with the caboceer’s soldiers in rear of the whole, one half of whom were armed with bows and arrows. After proceeding about half a mile from the town into an open piece of ground not planted with corn, the soldiers commenced a review and sham fight, which, although it did not display any great complication of manœuvres, was interesting from the quickness of their motions, and significant gestures.
After the review was over, we returned to the market-place, when all my soldiers commenced dancing. This was kept up alternately by my guard, and the soldiers belonging to the town. In this country each caboceer invariably keeps a clown or jester, many of whom are clever and amusing on account of their ready wit. After the dance, which lasted about two hours, I gave each of the party some rum, which is always expected on such occasions. I then retired to my quarters, accompanied by the caboceer, who seemed very anxious to maintain a friendly conversation, evidently with a view to obtain information on general topics. He remained till a late hour, when he retired to his home, leaving me once more to enjoy my own reflections upon what I had seen, and to take notes for my Journal.
The town of Paweea contains about sixteen thousand inhabitants. They seem rather an industrious race in comparison with those near the coast. Here, as well as in most other towns in the neighbourhood, the mechanic is very much esteemed on account of his craft, but especially the blacksmith, who in their own language is called a cunning man, ranking next to the fetish-man or priest. The soil round this place is a rich sandy loam, and the land well watered, consequently, the crops are abundant, and the people are in the enjoyment of plenty, with but little labour. They seem a very happy race, and well satisfied with their present government and laws, which, previous to their subjection to the King of Dahomey, were arbitrary and cruel in the extreme. This town has two strong gates on the south-east and north-west sides, which are closed at sunset, and guarded by soldiers or watchmen, who take that duty in turn.