Page images
PDF
EPUB
[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

POETRY.-Evening Hexameters, 146. Andrew Hall Foote, 181. Anniversary Hymn, 192. The Dial's Motto, 192.

SHORT ARTICLES.-Eton, 165. Papyrus, 165. Postage Stamps, 1653, 165. Literary Intelligence, 171. What did James Watt know of Photography? 179. The Secret of England's Greatness, 179. Social Science, 191.

PUBLISHED EVERY SATURDAY BY

LITTELL, SON &

&

CO., BOSTON.

For Six Dollars a year, in advance, remitted directly to the Publishers, the LIVING AGE will be punctually forwarded free of postage.

Complete sets of the First Series, in thirty-six volumes, and of the Second Series, in twenty volumes, handsomely bound, packed in neat boxes, and delivered in all the principal cities, free of expense of freight, are for sale at two dollars a volume.

ANY VOLUME may be had separately, at two dollars, bound, or a dollar and a half in numbers.

ANY NUMBER may be had for 13 cents; and it is well worth while for subscribers or purchasers to complete any broken volumes they may have, and thus greatly enhance their value.

[blocks in formation]

From The Athenæum. tain ceremonies were gone through as a welDespatches from Commodore Wilmot respect- come. They were received most cordially by ing his Visit to the King of Dahomey, in the yavogah and other officials, with drums December, 1862, and January, 1863. (Pre-beating, colors flying, muskets firing, caboosented to the House of Commons.)

66

ceers as well as soldiers dancing, and the latTHESE despatches throw some new light on ter singing warlike songs. "We were also that strange region well known as the Garden treated," remarks the commodore, with the of Africa, and give a graphic account of its simplicity of a man accustomed to strange extraordinary sovereign. The King of Da- sights, " to the manœuvres of a slave hunt." homey has recently obtained the reputation The yavogah and chiefs accompanied them to of being one of the chief promoters of slave the English fort, where the king's stick was traffic; hence English cruisers and English presented, and the healths of the Queen of missionaries have been hovering about his England and the King of Dahomey were territories. Towards the end of last year, drunk. Having secured hammock-men, carCommodore Wilmot, of the Rattlesnake, was riers for luggage, and guides, and being furinformed by the Rev. P. W. Bernasko, Wes-nished with a bodyguard of soldiers, they leyan Missionary in the English fort, that started the following afternoon, accompanied the King of Dahomey was most anxious to see somebody of consideration from England a real Englishman "-with whom he might converse on the affairs of his country. Having mentioned this to the Yavogah of Whydah, the latter said, "If you will come back again in seven days, I will send to the king, and let you know if he will see you." He accordingly sent to the king, saying that Mr. Wilmot was a "good and proper person, come out as a messenger from the Queen of England.' Before making up his mind to accept the king's invitation, there were many points, Mr. Wilmot tells us, to be considered. It had been said that our late attack on Porto Novo had enraged the king's mind to such an extent that he had expressed a strong desire to lay hands upon an English officer in order to avenge the destruction of that place. Porto Novo belongs to his brother; and the European residents at Whydah had spread the most alarming reports of the disposition of the king towards Englishmen, and his hatred of them. But after mature consideration he resolved to go, and place implicit trust in the king's good faith.

[ocr errors]

by the Rev. Mr. Bernasko and his servants. They arrived at Cannah, eight miles from Abomey, in the evening, when the king was holding his court. At all places on the road the head men turned out with their soldiers, and received the strangers with firing, dancing and the usual presents of water, fowls, and goats. Speeches were made expressive of their desire to go to war and cut off heads for their master. The war-dance was performed by women and children, and motions made with swords as if in the act of decapitating their enemies. This show of war did not interefere with hospitality, for at the villages where they slept, comfortable quarters had been provided, and water furnished. The latter is, however, denounced by the commodore as very bad, scarce, and unwholesome. The king had sent three of his sticks by special messengers to meet them on their way, with inquiries about their health; and at ten o'clock on the morning of the 10th he summoned them to his reception. They went in full dress, and remained under some large trees, in an open space. After a short time, the chiefs arrived in succession with their Having made preparations for an absence followers, according to their rank, and were of fourteen days, he landed on the 22d of De- duly introduced, the same drumming, firing, cember, in company with Capt. Luce and Dr. dancing, and singing being carried on as at Haran, of the Brisk, who had volunteered to Whydah. When this, which occupied a conaccompany him. The Rattlesnake and the siderable time, was over, the commodore and Brisk were sent to cruise, and both vessels his companions got into the hammocks and were ordered to return on the 14th of the went to the palace, outside of which, in a next month. The three Englishmen were large square, were assembled all the chiefs conveyed in hammocks across the lagoon and with their people, as well as large bodies of through the wet and marshy ground, almost the king's soldiers. The gaudy colors of the impassable in the rainy months, to a large large umbrellas, the dresses of the head men, tree at the entrance of Whydah, where cer- the firing of the muskets, the songs of the

them.

tance.

people, the beating of the war-drums, the introduction, nothing political was entered savage gestures of the soldiers, and their fe- into. The king then gave orders for his rocious appearance, made the travellers at Amazons to perform a variety of movements, first a little uncomfortable. All, however, which they did most creditably. They loaded treated them with marked respect, while, ac- and fired quickly, singing songs all the time. cording to custom, they were carried three In Mr. Wilmot's opinion they are a very fine times round the square. After the third body of women, and are very active in their time, they got down and entered the palace- movements, being remarkably well limbed gates, passing through a row of chiefs on each and strong. No one is allowed to approach side. They found the courtyard of the palace them except the king, who lives amongst presenting a spectacle not easily forgotten. They are first in honor and imporAt the further end was a large building, of All messages are carried by them to some pretensions to beauty in that country, and from the king and his chiefs. Every one being made of thatch, and supported by col- kneels down while delivering a message, and umns of wood, roughly cut. In front of this, the men touch the ground with their heads and close to it, leaving an open space for ad- and lips before the king. The women do mission to the king, was placed a large array not kiss the ground nor sprinkle themselves of variegated umbrellas, to be used only by with dust as the men do. When a man apthe sovereign. Near these were congregated pears before the king he is obliged to perform his principal chiefs. On either side of him, the ceremony of covering his head and upper under the building, were his wives, to the part of his body with dust before he rises, as number of about one hundred, gayly dressed, much as to say, "I am nothing but dirt bemost of them young and exceedingly pretty. fore thee!" Though the commodore admits The king was reclining on a raised dais that this is rather a degrading spectacle, he about three feet high, covered with crimson says, "but, after all, it is only the custom of cloth, smoking his pipe, whilst one of his the country." After the Amazons had finwives held a glass sugar-basin as a royal spit-ished the manœuvres, they came to the strantoon. He was dressed very plainly, the up-gers and gave them their compliments, singper part of his body being bare, with only a silver chain holding some fetich charm round his neck, and an unpretending cloth around his waist. The left side of the courtyard was filled with Amazons, from the walls up to the king's presence, all armed with various weapons, such as muskets, swords, gigantic razors for cutting off heads, bows and arrows, and blunderbusses. Their large wardrum was conspicuous, being surrounded with human skulls. The visitors advanced with due form and ceremony to where the king was sitting; and, when close to him, all the respect due to royalty was paid by bowing, which he gracefully acknowledged by bowing himself, and waving his hand. Having sat down close to him, in chairs that had been brought from Whydah, the conversation commenced with the usual compliments. He asked about their health, and how they got on during the journey. He then inquired about the queen and all her family, asking many questions about the form of government in England. Mr. Wilmot said the queen sent her compliments to him, and hoped he was quite well, at which he seemed much pleased; but this being only a visit of

ing songs in praise of their master, and saying they were ready for war, suiting the action to the word by going through the motions of cutting off heads. The king then introduced all his princes, chiefs, and warriors, in succession, according to rank; then the chiefs and captains of the Amazons; then the princesses, daughters of the late king: in fact, he brought up and named one by one everybody of importance in his kingdom, including the mother of the king and the mothers of his principal chiefs. After each group was introduced, a bottle of rum was given, the usual present after such a ceremony, and a signal that they had permission to retire. To the head chiefs a glassful each was presented, which was drunk by themselves, or given to one of their followers. When once in the king's presence, or in his capital, no one, European or native, can leave without this customary present. After all the presentations, the king called the Amazons again to salute the strangers, and then offered them water and spirits, which he drank with them; and thus terminated the first visit. No one is permitted to see the king drink all turn their faces away, and a large cloth is held up

by his wives while the royal mouth takes in | ways to submit to this, which caused a great the liquid.

drain upon their resources. Next day the king's jesters danced before them. One of the Amazons, in firing, had injured her hand very much by the bursting of the musket, and a messenger arrived from the king with a request that the doctor might be allowed to attend her. This was granted, and Dr. Haran saw her twice a day until the wound was healed and a perfect cure made. The wound was a very severe one, and Mr. Wilmot thinks it was fortunate for the Amazon that the skill of Dr. Haran was called in.

The commodore has no small opinion of his own tact. He says: "I have reason to believe that my line of conduct was rewarded by the whole country being laid open before us, and the whole people, king, chiefs, and all, being our friends. The greater part of what we saw I firmly believe was entirely got up for my sake, and certainly no white men ever saw what we did, or were treated with such marked consideration."

When the visitors were going away the king got up, it being almost dark, and walked beside them across the courtyard, through the gates, and nearly half a mile on the road towards their house, which was considered a great compliment. The whole court followed, with the exception of the Amazons and the wives, who never join in such processions. The soldiers shouted and sang their war songs, while certain chiefs went in front of the king to clear the road and point out any dirt or inequalities of ground before the feet royal. The sight was imposing, and impressed Mr. Wilmot with the power of the king amongst his people. He seemed much feared as well as much beloved. Indeed, he appears to have produced no small effect on the commodore himself, who describes him as a very fine-looking man, upwards of six feet high, broad-shouldered, and with a pleasant countenance when he likes. His eyes are bloodshot. He is a great smoker, but While at Cannah the king invited them on does not indulge much in the bottle. His the afternoon of two days to witness the firskin is much lighter than that of most of his ing of his Amazons and soldiers with ball at people, resembling the copper color of the a mark. They found him about two miles American Indians. He is very active, and outside the town in a very large open space fond of dancing and singing, which he prac- which had been cleared away, surrounded by tises in public during the "customs." He his chiefs and people, to the number of sevis an admirer of the fair sex, of whom he eral thousand, preparing to practise at a possesses as many as he likes. He is about number of goats, which were tied to stakes forty-three years sold. Before leaving the pal-driven in the ground at intervals of about ace, the king saluted the queen with twenty-fifteen yards, under a mud wall of considerone guns, from pieces of all sizes, the largest able length, and about ten feet high. The being a three-pounder. These guns are, king received them very cordially, and told usually, carried on men's heads, and occa- the prince to place them under his own umsionally placed on the ground and fired off. brellas in a convenient place for seeing everyThe king also saluted his visitors with nine thing. The firing commenced, and the king's guns. bodyguard of Amazons distinguished themselves as good shots. The king fired several times himself. The soldiers fired also exceedingly well, and taking into consideration the quality of the flint musket and the iron ball, which is jagged and fits loosely in the barrel, the display they made astonished the strangers. Several goats were killed, and on the second day four of those despatched were sent to Mr. Wilmot as a present. These had been selected by the Amazons as a particular present to the visitors, and until they were killed no other goat was fired at. The firing was very rapid, and the ladies' weapons were well handled. Some heads were cut off during the night, and this appears to be the

[ocr errors]

The number of guns fired was shown by a corresponding number of musket-balls produced in an iron pot.

On arriving at their quarters after this day's ceremony, the prince, who had accompanied them from Whydah, asked for a present for the soldiers and Amazons. He said he hoped they would not make him ashamed before his people, as he had brought the party up, and was ordered to attend upon them. Mr. Wilmot immediately acquiesced, and made them a handsome present, which was thankfully acknowledged. Whenever strangers meet, they either drink with each other on their first arrival, or when they are about to depart. Of course, our countrymen had al

« EelmineJätka »