190 WESTERN COAST OF AFRICA 



ment is, perhaps, the most perfect despotism on the earth ; the policy 

 of the country admits of no intermediate degree of subordination be- 

 tween king and slave, at least in the royal presence, where the prime 

 minister is obliged to prostrate himself with as much abject submis- 

 sion as the meanest subject. A minister of state, on his entrance, 

 crawls towards the apartment of audience on his hands and knees, till 

 he arrives in the royal presence, where he lays himself flat on his 

 belly, rubbing his head in the dust, and uttering. the most humiliating 

 expressions. Being desired to advance, he receives the king's com- 

 mands, or communicates any particular business, still continuing pros- 

 trate ; for no person is permitted to sit, even on the floor, in the royal 

 presence, except the women, and even they must kiss the ground 

 when they receive or deliver the king's message. The king of Daho 

 my maintains a considerable standing army, commanded by an agaow 

 or general, with several other subordinate military officers, who must 

 hold themselves in readiness to take the field upon all occasions, at 

 the command of the sovereign. The payment of these troops chiefly 

 depends on the success of the expeditions in which they are engaged* 

 On extraordinary occasions, all the males able to bear arms are obliged 

 to repair to the general's standard; every caboceer,or grandee, march- 

 ing at the head of his own people. Sometimes the king takes the field 

 at the head of his troops ; and, on very great emergencies, at the head 

 of his women. Within the walls of the different royal palaces in Da- 

 homy are immured not less than three thousand women, several nun 

 dreds of whom are trained to arms under a female general, and sub- 

 ordinate officers appointed by the king, in the same manner as those 

 under the agaow. These warriors are regularly exercised, and go 

 through their evolutions with as much expertness as the male sol- 

 diers. They have their large umbrellas, their flags, their drums, 

 trumpets, flutes, and other musical instruments. The singularity of 

 this institution never fails to attract particularly the attention of Euro- 

 peans, when among other uncommon exhibitions they are presented 

 with the unusual spectacle of a review of female troops. 



Benin is a country to the east of Dahomy, and extending from about 

 9 deg. north latitude to 1 deg. feouth. The climate is said to be ex- 

 tremely unwholesome and noxious. The animals are elephants, tigers, 

 leopards, apes and ostriches, and in the rivers are a great number of 

 crocodiles. The dress' of the natives is neat and ornamental. The 

 rich weaf white calico or cotton petticoats, but the upper part of the 

 body is commonly naked. The women use great art in dressing their 

 hair, which they adjust in a variety of forms. Polygamy is common, 

 and the king is said to have six hundred wives. Though jealous of 

 each other, they are not so of Europeans, as they think it impossible 

 that the taste of the women can be so depraved as to grant any liber- 

 ties to a white man. Their religion is paganism. The king exercises 

 an absolute authority : three great officers, distinguished by a string 

 of coral, continually attend upon him to consult, instruct, and decide 

 in his name. He can bring into the field an army of 100,000 men. 

 Benin, the capital, situated on the river Benin or Formosa, was for- 

 merly a very closely built and populous city. In the streets, whish 

 are long and broad, are many shops filled with European merchan- 

 dise, as well as with the commodities of the country. A principal 

 part of the town is occupied by the royal palace, which is of vast 

 extent, but neither elegant nor commodious. 



To the south of Benin is the country of Loango, which is abput 



