Capt Palmas to 



tlins (o be ilesfioyecl, aie broiiglit up 

 for the express purpose in llie king's 

 or cabocecr's seraglio; and it is said, 

 1h;it their miiuls liavc provionsly l)cen 

 so powerfully wrought upon by the 

 ll'liche men or priests, thut they pro- 

 reed to the place of execution with as 

 iniicli eliciitiiliie.ss as those inlatinited 

 Hiiuloo women who are burnt with 

 their husbands. One was impaled 

 while I was at Liiu;os, but of course 

 I did not wilness the ceremony. I 

 passed by where the lifeless body still 

 remained on the stake a few da^s 

 afterwards. 



Male dogs are banished lo the towns 

 opposite to JLagos; for, if any arc 

 caught there, tliey are immediately 

 slraiigle<l, split, and trimmed like slieej), 

 aii<l hung up at the door of some great 

 man, where lows of the pull id ear- 

 cases of their canine brethren are often 

 lo be seen. They arc fetiche (sacred,) 

 and intended lo coimtervail tiic machi- 

 nations of the c^il spirit. At the 

 eastern cxircmity of the town, there 

 are a few large trees, which are covered 

 with the beads of malefaclors. The 

 skulls arc nailed lo the trunks and 

 large limbs, and present a very appalling 

 sjieclaele. 



The town swarms with water rats 

 from the lake, which burrow in the 

 ground, and are so au^lacious that they 

 not unfreqnenlly make their appearance 

 under the dinner-lablo while the guests 

 remain silling at it. 



Tiie population <>f the town of Lagos 

 may amount to 5 000; but there are 

 two or three populous villages on the 

 north side of Ciadoo lake, over which 

 the cal)oeeer of Lagos has jurisdiction. 

 'I'liis chiers power is absolute and his 

 diS])ositi(in tyrannical to excess. 



KOVAL AUDILNCE. 



When I first paid the chief a visit, lie 

 was holding a levee, and dispensing fa- 

 vours to his courtiers will) bisowiirojal 

 band, which consisted of jiicces of the 

 putrid carcase of a cow. ijach indivi- 

 dual crawled to the foot of the thione, 

 upon his hands and knees (rubbing, oc- 

 casionally, his forehead in the dust), to 

 receive- the piincely gift, and, with w<'ll- 

 f»red politeness, and coiutitT-like ei' i- 

 lily, crawled back again to bis scat, his 

 |»osleriors first advaii<rmg, like those (jf 

 a bear's, when ildcscciKis a tree. Tlio 

 room, bouevcr, was so intolciably hot, 

 ami tlie sicnch from thecurriou so offen- 

 sive, lliat I vfas comiiclled to uukc a 

 precipitate retreat. 



'J'be entrance leading to the audi- 



the River Congo. 



587 



cnce-cliambcr presented a very curious 

 spectacle. It was an oblong room of 

 considerable length, having an opening 

 along the centre of the roof to admit 

 light and air. At one extremity, there 

 was arranged the king's feti<;he, which 

 consisted of three ehiihant's teeth 

 placed in a reclining posture against the 

 wall, with the convex part outwards, 

 and sprinkled with blood. On each 

 side of the a|)artmcnt, there were 

 tumbled together, promiscuously, arli*- 

 cles of trade, and costly presents, in a 

 stale of dilapidation ; namely, rolls of 

 tobacco, boxes of pipes, cases of gin, 

 ankers of brandy, i)ieccs of cloth, of 

 Indian and European nianufaeture, iron 

 bars, earthenware, a beautiful hand- 

 organ, the bellows of which were burst ; 

 two elegant chairs of stale, having rich 

 crimson damask covers, all in tatters; a 

 handsome scdanchair, without a bottom; 

 and two ex|)cnsivc sofas, without leg's. 



Coolly, like many of his royal bre- 

 thren in Africa, is a receiver of stolen 

 goods ; for he does not hesitate to share 

 what bis servants purloin : and that ser- 

 vant is his greatest favourite, who can 

 rob his European friends with most 

 address. 



CURRENCY. 



Cowries are the medium of cxcJiangc, 

 and calculations are made in ounces 

 and arkies, as on the Gold Coast; 

 16,000 cowries make an ounce, being 

 the same mode of calculation as that 

 practised at Ardrah, Wydali, and Popo, 



THE JABOOS. 



'J'be Jaboos inhabit a country sHif- 

 atcd between Hioand Benin, are a fine 

 looking people, and always seem as if 

 they came from a land of plenty, being 

 stout, healthy, and full of vigour. They 

 area very industrious people, and manu- 

 faclurc for sale an immense number of 

 common Guinea cloths: besides raising 

 cattle, sheep, poultry, corn, and calavan- 

 cies, with which they supply their 

 neighbours. 



nr.MN'. 



The country called licnin is of consi- 

 derable extent, ami sihiated principally 

 to the north and west of the river 

 lormosa, from which a wide and deep 

 creek brandies, that leads to a towii 

 called Gatto, where vessels trading with 

 ikiiin have their factories. 



It is the practice lierc for masleis of 

 vessels to pay the king a visit soon after 

 their arrival ; and such a ceremony is 

 seldom allowed to be tlisiicnscd with, as 

 on Ibesc occasion.s the black monarch 

 receives u handioiuc pHseut, cou^lMiug 



of 



