In Afric’s Forest and Jungle 
Abeokuta with an army the size of which may 
be imagined by the fact that he had forty am¬ 
azon generals on his staff. But after destroying 
another large town he returned to his country to 
await the next “dry season.” That time had 
now come and the people of Abeokuta were not 
surprised to learn that a large army had left 
Abomey and was coming east. Scouts were 
sent out to watch the movements of the Daho- 
mians while every preparation possible was 
made for the anticipated assault. After some 
days the mounted scouts returned and reported 
that they had gone three days’ journey and could 
find no trace of a Dahomian army. 
Supposing that the king had again decided to 
go in another direction, the people returned to 
the farms or addressed themselves to their usual 
business in the city, giving little thought to any¬ 
thing else. The Alake had been greatly stirred 
up at the prospect of danger, but he again gladly 
returned to his accustomed ease. A feeling of 
perfect security prevailed everywhere, while the 
Dahomian host was within a few miles of 
Abeokuta. 
About ten miles west of the city on the road 
leading toward Dahomey was a town of ten 
thousand inhabitants named Eshagga. This town 
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