m t> a n 
a reddiili colour, with a little farad on the furface, except 
about Cahruna, where it is more light and gravelly : but 
there is not to be found a.done fo big as an egg in the 
v, hole country, fo far as it has been vifited by the Euro¬ 
peans; of farinaceous vegetables, the country yields a 
plentiful (upply, proportionable to the quantity of cul¬ 
ture; namely maize, millet, or guinea-corn of different 
forts ; a kind of peas, or rather kidney beans, called cal- 
iavances ; and alfo a fpecies of beans, called ground-beans. 
The Dahomans likewife cultivate yams, potatoes of two 
forts, the caffada, or manioka, the plantain, and the ba¬ 
nana. Pine-apples, melons, oranges, limes, guavas, and 
other tropical fruits, alfo abound in this fertile country. 
Nor is it deftitute of productions adapted for commerce 
and manufacture ; fuch as indigo, cotton, the fugar-cane, 
tobacco, palm-oil, together with a variety of fpices, 
particularly a fpecies of pepper, very fimilar in flavour, 
and indeed fcarcely diftinguifhable from the black pepper 
of the Eud Indies. A very curious fruit is produced in 
Dahomy, as well as in fome other parts of Africa, which 
refembles a fmall olive in every refpect but the colour ; 
being of a dufky reddilh hue, changing at the end next 
the Hulk to a faint yellow; the pulp is firm, and almoft 
infipid; the ftone is hard like that of the olive. After 
having chewed ojie or more of fuch berries, and fpit out 
or fwallowed the pulp at pleafure, a glafs of vinegar 
will tabe, to the perfon trying the experiment, likefweet 
wine ; a lime will feem to have the flavour of a very 
ripe China orange ; and the fame change is produced in 
other acids, without effervefcence, or any fenfible mo¬ 
tion. The Dahomans, like the other inhabitants of tro¬ 
pical climates, plant twice a year, viz. at the vernal and 
autumnal equinoxes ; after which the periodical rains 
prevail. The language is that which the Portuguese call 
Lingua Gera/, or General Tongue, and is fpoken not only 
in Dahomy Proper, but in Whydah, and the other de¬ 
pendent dates; and likewife in Mahee, and feveral neigh¬ 
bouring places. With refpebt to the Dahoman religion, 
it conlifts of a jumble of fuperbitious ceremonies, of 
which it is impoffible to convey any fatisfabtory idea. 
The government is perhaps the moft perfect defpotifm on 
the earth. The policy of the country admits of no in¬ 
termediate degree of fubordination between king and 
Have, at lead in the royal prefence, where the prime mi- 
nider is obliged to prodrate himfelf with as much abjebt 
fubmidion as the meaned fubjeft; all acknowledging the 
right of the fovereign at pleafure. A minider of date, 
on his entrance, crawls towards the apartment of au- 
rdience on his hands and knees, till he arrives in the royal 
prefence, where he lays himfelf flat on his belly, rub¬ 
bing his head in the dud, and uttering the mod humili¬ 
ating expredions. Being defired to advance, he receives 
-the king’s commands, or communicates any particular 
budnefs, dill continuing in a recumbent podure ; for no 
perfon is permitted to dt, even on the floor, in the royal 
pretence, except the women; and even they mud kifs 
the earth when they receive or deliver the king’s meffage. 
The king of Dahomy maintains a confiderable banding 
army, commanded by an agaow, or general, with feveral 
other fubordinate military officers, who mud hold them- 
felvesin readinefs to take the held upon all occadons, at 
the command of the fovereign. The payment of thefe 
troops chiefly depends on the fuccefs of the expeditions 
in which they are engaged. On extraordinary occadons, 
all the males able to bear arms are obliged to repair to 
the general’s dandard ; every caboceer marching at the 
head of his own people. Sometimes the king takes the 
field at the head of his troops; and on very great emer¬ 
gencies, at the head of his women. Within the walls of 
the different royal palaces in Dahomy, are immured not 
lefs than three thoufand women ; feveral hundreds of 
thefe are trained to arms, under a female general, and 
fubordinate officers, appointed by the king, in the fame 
manner as thole under the agaow. Thefe warriors are 
regularly exercifed, and go through their evolutions with 
D A I 
as- much expertnefs as the male foldiers. They have 
their large umbrellas, their flags, their drums, trumpets, 
flutes, and other mufical indruments. In diort, the An¬ 
gularity of this inditution never fails to attraft the par¬ 
ticular attention of the Europeans, when, among other 
uncommon exhibitions, they are prefented witli "the un- 
ufual fpeblacle of a review of female troops. 1 he drefs 
of the men in Dahomy 7 condds of a pair of briped or 
white cotton drawers, of .the manufacture of the coun¬ 
try, over which they wear a large Iquare cloth of the 
fame, or of European manufacture. This cloth is about 
the iize of a common counterpane for the middling clafs, 
but much larger for the grandees. It is wrapped about 
the loins, and tied on the left fide by two of the corners, 
the others hanging down, and fometimes trailing on the 
ground. A piece of filk or velvet, of fixteen or eighteen 
yards, makes a cloth for a grandee. The head is ufually 
covered with a beaver or felt hat, according to the qua¬ 
lity of the wearer. The king, as well as fome of his 
miniders, often wears a gold or diver-laced hat and fea¬ 
ther. The arms and upper part of the body remain 
naked, except when the party travels or performs fome 
piece of work, when the large cloth is laidadde, and the 
body is covered with a fort of frock or tunic without 
beeves. The feet are always bare, none but the fovereign 
being permitted to wear fandals. The drefs of the wo¬ 
men, though dmple, condds of a greater number of ar¬ 
ticles than that of the men. They ufe feveral cloths and 
handkerchiefs ; fome to wrap round the loins, and others 
to cover occadonally the breads and upper part of the 
body. The neck, arms, and ancles, are adorned with 
beads and cowries; and rings of diver, or bafer metal, 
encircle the fingers. The ears are pierced fo as to admit 
the little finger, and a coral bead of that fize duck into 
each, if the party be able to afford it; otherwife a por¬ 
tion of red fealing-wax, or a piece of oyder-dtell poliflted, 
is applied in the fame manner. Girls, before the age of 
puberty, wear nothing but a bring of beads or (hells 
round the loins, and young women ufually expofe the 
breads to view. The general character of the Dahomans 
is marked by a mixture of ferocity and politenefs. The 
former appears in the treatment of their enemies; the 
latter tliey poifefs far above the African nations witli 
whom we have hitherto had any intercourfe ; this being 
the country where drangers are lead expofed to infults, 
and where it is eafy to relidein fecurity and tranquillity. 
DAH'RA, a fmall ifland in the Red Sea, near the coab 
of Arabia : one league fouth-wed of Loheia. 
DAHRI'JE, a town of Egypt, (Ituated on the Nile; 
thirteen miles louth-fouth-web of Damietta. 
DAI'DALA,yi in antiquity, trees formed into datues, 
a fead among the Greeks, in which a ftatue was dreded 
and carried in procedion to be facrificed to Jupiter. 
DAIL, f. [a fea term.] A trough to carry the water 
from the pump near the deck. 
DAILLE' (John), a learned French protedant mi¬ 
nider, born at Chateilerault, in 1594. His father fent 
him for education fuccedively to St. Maixent in Poitou, 
to Poitiers, Chateilerault, and Saumur. It was in the 
latter place that he finifhed his courfe of philofophy, 
under the celebrated Duncan, and commenced his theo¬ 
logical dudies in 1612. In the fame year he had the hap. 
pinefs to be received into the family of the illudrious 
Mr. du Pleffis-Mornay, in the capacity of tutor to his 
two grandfons. After accompanying thefe gentlemen on 
tlieir travels, he, in 1623, entered on the exercife of the 
clerical functions, at the cable of La Forelt, in Lower 
Poitou, belonging to Mr. du Pleffis-Mornay. But in a 
diort time after he had commenced this new character, 
that great man fell lick, and died in the arms of Mr. 
Daille. A confiderable part of the following year was 
fpent by him in reviling and preparing for the prefs the 
memoirs of Mr. du Pleffis, which had been compiled 
by one of his domedics of the name of De Ligues, and 
were afterwards publidied in two volumes. In 1625 he 
was 
