586' Adams's Account of the 



being gronnil very fine, is then stepped 

 in walcr uiilil it becomes sliglitly acid, 

 when all the farinaceous part is squeezed 

 out l)y the hand, and liie s'osser par- 

 ticles are thrown to the fowls, in this 

 state it is boiled, and the natives con- 

 sume it whilst it is warm j it resembles 

 exactly, in consistency and taste, tlie 

 poUage used by the natives of Scot- 

 land, called sowcns, and which is ex- 

 tracted from oalmeal l>y a similar pro- 

 cess. It is also somclimes boiled in 

 slips of plantain iea\es made up in 

 triangular forms, and when cold, (in 

 which state, it is generally eaten,) re- 

 sembles very fine blanc-mmige, and is a 

 pleasant, cooling, and milritious diet. 

 In many of the avenues of the town, 

 old women may be seen, early in the 

 morning, retailing it in a warm state 

 to their customers, who cat it as they 

 receive it. Payment is made in 

 cowries. 



THE IIIOS. 



The Hios are a fine race of people, and 

 arc well skilled both in agriculture and 

 in manufacturing articles for domestic 

 purposes. The country which they in- 

 habit is of great extent, being bordered 

 on the north-east by ITousa, on the 

 south-west by Dahomy, and the in- 

 fluence of its government extends to 

 the south as far as the sea by way of 

 Ardrah. 



If we are to believe the accounts of 

 Iho natives, the king of Hio has an 

 organized army amounting to 100,000 

 men, composed of infantry and cavalry. 



The cloth manufactured in Hio is 

 superior, both for variety of j)at(crn, 

 colour, and dimensions, to any made in 

 the neighboming states; and some of 

 the articles wrought by them in iron 

 exhibit much skill and ingenuity. It 

 surprised me to find the IJio women as 

 well as those of Housa actjuainted with 

 the taste of cheese, as w<-ll as with tiie 

 mode of making it, which they de- 

 scribed, and which left no doulit in my 

 mind that it was an article of domestic 

 consumption in these countries. 



The Hios arc extremely black and 

 muscular, and generally above the mid- 

 dle size; in disposition they are mild, 

 docile, and submissive. Their country- 

 mark cm the face consists of three 

 sliort cuts, each about one and a half 

 inch long, rniming oblicpiely on each 

 side of tlic mouth. 



The natives of Ilousa are of the 

 middle size, gem rally thin and active, 

 with high cheek-bones. Their country 

 mark consists of very small lines cut 



Count ry extending from 



longitudinally upon each cheek from 

 till! temples to the chin. They are an 

 agrieullar.'d people, and inhabit a fertile 

 country of great extent. 



LAGOS. 



The town of Lagos is built on a 

 bank or island, which appears to have- 

 been raised from Cradoo lake, by the 

 eililies, alter the sea and periodical 

 rains had broken down the boundary 

 wliich separated it from the ocean. 

 The island is of ine()n3idera!)le size, 

 about four miles from the sea, and n 

 foot only above the level of the lake at 

 high water, which is so shallow that 

 boats of only ten or llfleen tons bnrtiien 

 can approach the town. An active 

 traffic in slaves was carried on at this 

 place, particularly after Ardrah was. 

 deserted by the French traders. 



It has always been the policy of the 

 Lagos people, like those of Bonny, to 

 be themselves the traders and not bro. 

 kers. 'I'hey therefore go in their canoes 

 to Ardrah and Eadagry, and to the 

 towns situated at the N.E. extremity, 

 of Cradoo lake, where they purchase 

 slaves, Jaboo cloth, and such articles, 

 as arc required for domestic consump- 

 tion. 



The necessaries of life are here ex- 

 tremely abundant and cheap, and are 

 brought chiefly from the country or 

 norlliern margin of Cradoo lake, which 

 comniunicates with Jahoo, a very fer- 

 tile kingdom, and inhabited by an 

 agricultural and mamifactnring people. 



It is these people who send so much 

 cloth to Lagos and Ardrah, which the 

 Portuguese traders from the I'razils 

 purchase for that market, and which is 

 licld there in n)tieh estimation by the 

 bhick population ; probably, not oidy 

 on account of its durability, but be- 

 cause it is manul'actuied in a country, 

 which gave many of them, or their 

 parents, birth, as the Portuguese have 

 always carried on an (;xtreniely active 

 trade in slaves at Wydah, Ardrah, and 

 Lagos. 



HORRIBLE SUPERSTITION. 



The horrid custom of impaling alive 

 a young female, to propitiate the favour 

 of the goddess presiding over the rainy 

 season, that she may fill the horn of 

 plenty, is practised here annnnlly. The 

 immolation of this victim to super- 

 stitious usage takes place soon alter 

 the vernal c(juinox ; and along with her 

 arc sacrificed sheep and goats, which, 

 together with yams, heads of maize, 

 and plantains, are hung on stakes on 

 each side of her. Pern ales destined 



thus 



