After examining the town we went to the highest pinnacle of Zoglogbo, where we obtained a very pleasant view of the surrounding country. At four miles distant, and bearing north-east, is seen the beautiful and gigantic block of granite, two thousand five hundred feet high, named Kpaloko; and as far as the eye can reach to the eastward are three mountains of a conical form, all of which are of the same shape and height. I asked the caboceer the name of these mountains, but he denied all knowledge of them, either by name or otherwise. I then asked several of my soldiers, from whom I received a similar reply. It seemed to me very singular, that a man should live during his whole life so near any remarkable spot without knowing something of the place, or even its name; but from a communication I received from a Mahomedan priest at Abomey, I was convinced that the distant mountains were the Dabadab Mountains, from the resemblance of their shape to a dumpling made from the Indian corn-meal so called. After measuring the height by the boiling-point thermometer, we descended the rock, which was quite smooth on the slope, so that it would be impossible for any person to keep his footing with shoes on. But my friend Kpatchie paid every attention to me, both during my ascent and descent, ordering one of his principal attendants to take one of my arms, while he himself took the other.
The people here are, like all other Africans, very superstitious. When I was taking the bearings of the different mountains, and measuring the distances, they seemed very uneasy, but as the King had given orders that I was to be permitted to use my own discretion in all things, it was useless to object to anything I thought proper to do. After descending this steep mountain, we visited the principal market-place, where the caboceer had ordered two fine bullocks to be brought; one of them I was to deliver to the King as a present, and the other was presented to myself; and the old caboceer forwarded both animals all the way to Abomey, to be there for me on my return. The manner in which they carry cattle is singular. They tie the feet of the animal together, and run a long palm pole between the legs, and thus carry the poor animals with their backs downwards, each end of the pole resting on the head of the carriers. Six men are generally appointed to carry one bullock, who relieve one another in turns. It would seem impossible, to those unacquainted with African cattle, for two men to carry one bullock; but it must be remembered that the African ox is very small in comparison with English oxen.
The natives have no sympathy or feeling for the lower animals. They throw the animal down when they get tired, with its back on the rough gravel, so that if they have a long journey to perform, the flesh is cut to the bone, and the death of the poor animal often ensues from such usage.
After we had received the presents from the caboceer, several of the merchants from Abomey presented me with goats and fowls, which kindness I of course acknowledged by making presents of some trifling articles of European manufacture. We now got ourselves ready for our march to the town of Baffo, which is only a few miles distant; my excellent old friend, Kpatchie, and his whole retinue, with a guard of honour, accompanying me.
Our descent was by the fissure on the opposite side of the mountain to that which we had ascended, and was equally difficult. However, my friend kept close to me, rendering me every requisite assistance in our perilous descent. At the foot of the mountain we entered another town of considerable size. Here I found my horse, which had been brought round to be in readiness for me. I remained some time in this town to ascertain their system of agriculture and their manufactures, which I found superior to any thing nearer the coast, except in Abomey and in Whydah. They consist of cloth, iron, knit nightcaps, mats, baskets, and a curious sort of girdle composed of different-coloured grasses, neatly fringed at each end, resembling the sashes worn by our infantry officers. All sorts of agricultural implements are also manufactured here in a superior style, as likewise earthen pots and pipes.
The northernmost of the four conical mountains I have mentioned measures from the top of Kpaloko 18° 7ʹ towards N.E. when the observer is placed on the N.E. end of Zoglogbo, and Kpaloko bears N.E., distant by observation from Zoglogbo 12°, and the back bearing of Gbowelley S.E. Zoglogbo is much famed in the Mahee country for having been the place of refuge for three moons of three kings, who led their combined armies to the plains of Paweea, where they were met by the Dahoman army, commanded by the King, who destroyed the whole of the combined armies of the kingdoms of Eyo, or Yarriba, and Annagoo, and a kingdom in the Mahee country in the adjoining Mountains of Kong.
These three kings declared war against the King of Dahomey, and threatened also to make his head a balance to a distaff; but the army of Dahomey, being well armed with muskets, although much inferior in numbers, totally destroyed the combined armies; and the three kings fled to Zoglogbo, where the Dahoman army followed them, and blockaded the passes, so that all supplies were entirely cut off, and in three moons the whole were compelled to surrender at discretion. These three kings were beheaded, and their heads used for a similar purpose to that which they had threatened the King of Dahomey with.
The head man of this town is Kpatchie’s principal attendant. Kpatchie is caboceer, or king, of all the towns and krooms in and round the mountain of Zoglogbo. The principal men’s names in Zoglogbo are as follows:—
1. Kpatchie.[4]
2. Bleedjado.
3. Annagoonoo.
4. Dawie.
5. Dyenyho.
6. Dosou say Footoh.
7. Zayso avarahoo.
8. Bayo Bozway.
9. Dogano.[5]
10. Mapossay.[6]
11. Awenoo.[7]
12. Bokava.
13. Dogwhay, the Caboceer’s wife.
14. Adoo, the Caboceer’s son.
12 P.M.—We now continued our march from this town to Baffo, bearing west from this place, and at three miles and a half arrived there. We were met about half way by the caboceer of Baffo and his principal wife, attended by a guard of honour, some of whom were armed with bows and arrows, and others with muskets, with which they kept up a constant irregular fire the whole of the way as we passed along. The caboceer and his wife were covered with ornaments, principally of cowries, fixed to leather, made of goatskin, and coloured blue and red, and about the width of the reins of a riding bridle, so that they were equipped similar to our Hussar officers’ horses. This caboceer is a very quick, active, and shrewd man; proud and foppish, moreover, and very jealous of my fine old friend, Kpatchie, who accompanied me to Baffo.