S06 
THE %VEStERN COAST* 
Their government is the purest despotism : every 
subject is a slave ; and every slave implicitly ad- 
mits the right of the sovereign to dispose of his 
property and of his person. " I think of my 
" king," said a Dahoman to Mr Norris, ** and then 
I dare engage five of the enemy myself. My 
head belongs to the king, not to myself : if he 
" please to send for it, I am ready to resign it ; 
" or if it be shot through in battle, I am satisfied 
" ^ — if it be in his service." This attachment 
continues unshaken, even when- their nearest re- 
lations become the victims of the avarice or ca- 
price of the king, and his enormities are always 
attributed to their own indiscretions. With this 
devoted spirit, the Dahoman rushes fearless into 
battle, and fights as long as he can wield his sabre. 
In 1775, when the viceroy of Whidah was dis- 
graced, one of the military officers declared, " that 
it was his duty to accompany the general to the 
field ; and if ever he betrayed the least symptom 
" of cowardice, or shew^ed the soles of his feet 
" to the enemy, he hoped the king would have 
his cutlass ready to behead him, at the moment 
" of his return. But this," said he, " will never 
" happen ; for, should I ever suspect that I am 
** accused of treachery, of turning my back on 
" the foe, or giving cause of complaint, I shall 
" never afford the prime minister an opportunity 
of asking impertinent questions, or of interfer- 
