The next day after he and his People were received into the Fort, the Dahomè Army came down, and being informed the French had given them Protection, contrary to a secret Promise their King had received from the Governor, they assaulted the Fort. But having nothing but small Arms to make their Attack, it would have availed little, had not the Thatch of the Houses within the Fort taken Fire. This Accident alarmed the white Men, who knowing there was a great quantity of Gunpowder in their Magazine, and no possibility of stopping the Fire, fled to the English Fort, which was within Musquet-Shot of their own, and so saved themselves: But the black People not being so sensible of their Danger, suffered very much by the blowing up of the Magazine, there being above one thousand of them killed, besides many wounded by this Accident. However, in the Confusion, and under cover of the Smoke, Captain Ossue, and several of his People, escaped to the English Fort: Where Governor Wilson, who then resided there for the African Company, generously gave them Protection; and to prevent Accidents, ordered immediately all the Houses in the Fort to be unthatch’d, and by firing on the Dahomes with his Cannon, killed several, and kept the rest at a distance.
The Dahomes having taken the French Fort, sheltered themselves therein; and the next morning sent a principal Man amongst them to Governor Wilson, to know the reason why he had fired on their Army. To which he answered, “That they having come down out of the Country in a hostile manner, without giving him the least notice, and attacked his Neighbours the French, he looked on it as the common Cause of all the Europeans settled there, who were bound to assist one another.” To this the Dahomes replied, “That when they came down, they had no design to attack the French Fort, for the King had no quarrel with the white Men: But the Governor having taken Captain Ossue and his People into the French Fort, contrary to his Promise, it obliged them to act as they had done.” At the same time they told the Governor to his Face, “That he had first sent to their King by a French Surgeon, then residing with their Master, to persuade his Majesty to send an Army down, to destroy Captain Ossue and his People; promising at the same time he would give them no Protection.” This the French Governor denied, but all that were present believed it to be too true; and by this means he let the Dahomes see, that white Men (whom they had before a high opinion of) could be the basest of Villains, when their Interest tempted them thereto. For it was much suspected, that the Governour had contrived the whole Affair, in order to squeeze a large Sum of Money from Captain Ossue to protect him, and for some other infamous Views. However, he met afterwards with a suitable Reward, being killed by the Whidaws, whom he had so much injured.
As soon as the King of Dahomè was informed of the taking of the French Fort, he sent this Message to the French Governor; “that he had brought this Misfortune on himself by his Perfidy, for he had no quarrel to his Nation; therefore he would order his Soldiers to repair the Fort, which had been greatly damaged by the Powder: Or if he did not desire this, he might depart with all the Frenchmen to his own Country.” After this, the Ships that lay then in the Road of Whidaw had good Trade for Women and Children, which the Dahomes had taken of Captain Ossue’s People, but there were few Men taken; many of them being lost when the Magazine blew up: and the rest having fled to the Island which their King was in.
I come now to relate a great Misfortune which befel the Dahomes, some Months after they had taken the French Fort. For the better understanding of it, the Reader is to know, that the King of Dahomè having conquered several Countries within a few Years, and depopulated them; the King of Weemey’s Sons, with other Princes, (whose Fathers this Conqueror had taken in War, and beheaded) fled to a far Inland Potent Nation called the J-oes. The King of Whidaw having, after Ossue’s Defeat, found means to send Messengers to the King of this Country, they, and the others that had fled to him for Protection, did at last, through their earnest Sollicitations, obtain an Army to march against the King of Dahomè, whom they all look’d upon as a most cruel Destroyer of Mankind. This Nation of J-oe fight all on Horseback, and living a great way on the North towards Nubia, they can at no other time march to the Southward, but when the Season for Forage, and the dry Weather sets in. The King of Dahomè had notice of their coming, a few days before they reached his Country; and he having formerly experienced how terrible such Numbers of Horse had been to his Army, which consists of none but foot Soldiers; he resolved to bury his Riches, burn his Towns, and then fly into the Woods and Thickets with his People; which is a common thing amongst the Negroes, for the weaker side to do, when at War; for they have no fortified Towns as in Europe: So they that are Masters of the Field command the Country far and near.
The King of Dahomè having thus in time provided for his Safety by Flight, the J-oes were disappointed: But one Appragah and his People, formerly subject to the King of Whidaw, but now under the Dominion of the Dahomes, did not escape so well. For not moving so soon by two days as they did, the J-oes came up with him and his People, and took abundance of them, with all Appragah’s Riches; and he himself was hardly put to it to escape, with a few of his Servants.
After this the J-oes marched on in quest of the Dahomes, but finding they were got into the thick Woods and Bushes, they incamped near them; making frequent Assaults, and often taking some of the Dahomes Prisoners. At last, they so distressed them, that for want of other Provision, they were obliged to eat many of their own Slaves. Yet the Dahomes patiently endured these Calamities, knowing the J-oes would be obliged to retire in a little time, on account of the rainy Season that was approaching, and for want of Forage: Accordingly they were obliged to retire soon after; and the Dahomes then returned to their own Country, and rebuilt their Towns again.
During these Misfortunes of the Dahomes, which lasted several Months, various Reports came to Whidaw. Sometimes it was said, “That the King of Dahomè was killed:” But that was again contradicted: And it was reported, “he had lost so many of his People, that he never could be again in a Condition to disturb his Neighbours;” and this was so currently believed that no one doubted of it.
About this time, which was in the beginning of July 1729, Governor Wilson departed from Whidaw, in order to return to England. He left in his room one Mr. Testefole, who had resided there many Years, but was no ways equal to him in Prudence and Conduct, as his unhappy Fate will afterwards show. For tho’ this Person had been often at the King of Dahomè’s Camp, where he was always used with great Civility, yet now believing that King was so far reduced, that the People of Whidaw had nothing more to fear from him; he too hastily advised their King, to leave the barren Islands wherein he had fled with his People, and come and take again Possession of his Country.
Hereupon the King of Whidaw resolved to return; and, to provide against the worst, he desired his Neighbours of Popoe to lend him some of their Forces; which they readily did. For these People, with all the Coast-Negroes, mortally hate the Dahomes, on account of their Cruelty, and their Barbarity in eating human Flesh. And, besides that the Popoes are little afraid of the Dahomes Power, because they live in Islands, they now assisted the Whidaws out of Policy; thinking, if they were reinstated in their Country, Trade would soon revive, which had been so long interrupted on account of the War. So they sent them some thousands of their People; and at their Arrival the King of Whidaw joined them with his Forces. Tho’ he was a very fat unwieldy Man, yet he marched at the head of his Army, which consisted of about fifteen thousand Men, including the Popoes, and incamped in his own Country for some time, near the English and French Forts. This the Dahomes knew nothing of; for they had so mean an opinion of the Whidaws, that they never thought they would attempt to settle again in their own Country: Neither had they, since the departure of the J-oes, sent any of their People to the Sea side, having been employed in repairing their Towns, and about other Affairs. These being near finished, the King of Dahomè sent some of his Traders down with Slaves, to the English and French Forts: But his People were much surprised to see such an Army of Whidaws incamped near them. So they returned in great haste to inform their King, who upon the receipt of this News, was greatly embarassed; for he had lost many of his best Soldiers whilst the J-oes remained in his Country, and kept him so long in the Bushes. Moreover, his Majesty had lately sent an Army into the inland Country, to take Slaves: For as I have formerly observed, he drives no regular Trade in Slaves, but only sells such as he takes in his Wars.