DAHOMY. 
307 
ing between me and my sovereign : I prefer 
" death at any time." Soon afterwards, this 
officer found himself left ahnost alone in his post, 
after detaching the flower of his troops to the as- 
sistance of his companions. Perceiving that it 
was impossible to retrieve affairs, at the approach 
of the enemy he called for his large stool, or 
chair, dismissed his attendants, sat down, and 
singly awaited the attack. AVTien the enemy 
advanced, he stood up and fired his musket till he 
was surrounded, when he drew his sabre, and 
rushed into the thickest ranks, where, after kill- 
ing numbers, he was overpowered and taken pri- 
soner. The king of Dahomy, who highly ap- 
proved of his conduct, paid his ransom, but he 
refused to return, and observing to the messenger, 
that, " though he might perhaps be the most ugly 
" of his majesty's subjects, yet there were none 
" more loyal," — stabbed himself with his sword. 
Another Dahoman general, being about to en- 
gage the Popoes, with a very inferior force, drank 
success to the arms of his king, and, dashing the 
glass to pieces, wished, " that if he was unsuc- 
" cessful, he might not survive the disgrace, but 
" perish like the glass which he broke." The 
metaphors and idiomatical expressions of this na- 
tion have generally a reference to their bodily 
strength and the sharpness of their swords. The 
significant titles which the king assumes, are 
