134 
TRAVELS IN AFRICA. 
Chap. XLII. 
they might exchange for firearms, without being 
forced to lay waste the whole of the neighbouring 
countries, and to bring misery and distress upon so 
many thousands. 
I informed them of the last negotiations of Her 
Britannic Majesty's messengers with the king of 
Dahome, when our friend, listening with the greatest 
interest to the account of these noble endeavours of 
Her Majesty's government, which he could not but 
admire, declared, in the most distinct manner, that if 
the British government were able to furnish them with 
a thousand muskets and four cannons, they would be 
willing to subscribe any obligatory article for abolish- 
ing the slave-trade in their country — of course not 
including, all at once, domestic slavery; for such a 
measure would scarcely be feasible in a country where 
all the relations of domestic life are based upon this 
system. But the abolition of the foreign slave-trade 
would be the beginning of a better system. However, 
I told them that, supposing Government were to enter- 
tain such a proposal, the first thing for them to do 
was to open themselves a road to the river Benuwe, 
as it would be difficult, not only with respect to the 
state of the country to be traversed, but also on 
account of the suspicions of the Turks, to provide 
them with such a military store by way of the de- 
sert. But at present this whole question has been 
superseded ; the vizier himself has succumbed, and 
his master, the sheikh f Omar, although he has been 
fortunate enough once more to usurp the sovereign 
