RESIDENCE AT KATUNGA. 
39 
the king of England would be glad to make him his friend, and 
that whatever he, the king of Youriba, might have occasion for 
would be sent from England by one of the king’s ships to Badagry. 
The king then replied in assuring us that we were truly wel- 
come to his country ; that he had frequently heard of white men ; 
but that neither himself, nor his father, nor any of his ancestors had 
ever seen one. He was glad that white men had come at this time ; 
and now he trusted his country would be put right, his enemies 
brought to submission, and he would be enabled to build up his 
father’s house, which war had destroyed. This he spoke in such a 
feeling and energetic manner, and repeated it so many times, that I 
could not help sympathising with him. He then said we were 
welcome to his country, and he was glad to see us, and would have 
been so, even if we had not a cowrie, instead of coming with our 
hands full, as we had done ; that he wanted nothing from white 
men, but something to assist him against his enemies, and those of 
his people who had rebelled against him, so as to enable him to 
reduce them to obedience ; that his slaves from Housa had joined 
the Fellatahs, put to death the old, and sold the young; that he 
was glad to hear that all his people had behaved well to us ; that 
had any of them refused us assistance, he should have sent an order 
to cut off their heads ; that the caboceer of Jannah was his slave, 
whom he put there to look after that part of his dominions ; that 
Badagry, Alladah, and Dahomey all belonged to him, and paid 
custom for every ship that anchored there : and he concluded 
by assuring us he wanted nothing but assistance against his ene- 
mies ; feelingly deploring the civil war occasioned by his father’s 
death, the state of his country, and of his capital, Katunga. He 
then asked us if w^e did not see the ruined towns as w r e came along 
the road. “ All these,” says he, “ w r ere destroyed and burned by 
my rebellious Housa slaves, and their friends, the Fellatahs.” 
We now began to unfold and to deliver the presents. AYith the 
