ADDITIONS
To the foregoing Account.
AS the Publication of this Book has been deferred till the Winter Season, it may not be unacceptable to the Reader, to have a farther Account of the King of Dahomè, according to the latest Advices come from those Parts.
I ended the first Book with an account of that King’s having concluded a Peace with the most powerful of his Enemies, the King of J-oe. This put the Europeans then residing at Jaqueen in great hopes, that those Countries would be settled, and Trade flourish again; tho’ at my departure from that Place, in May 1730, I saw but little prospect of it: And indeed it has been quite ruined since, by the Destruction of the Country of Jaqueen, on the 22nd of March 1731-2.
For the King of Dahomè being a restless ambitious Prince, instead of endeavouring (after the concluding of the Peace with the J-oes) to settle his conquered Countries, he marched far Inland against a Nation called the Yahoos.
These People valiantly defended themselves for many Months, having retired amongst their Mountains and Woods, where they were besieged by the Dahomes. The rainy Season coming on, the Dahomè Soldiers were desirous of returning to their own Country, but the King was highly incensed at it, and put several of the principal Officers to death, only for mentioning it to him. This caused great Murmurings in the Army, which were increased by their Sufferings from the Rains; so that some of his Captains deserted him with many Soldiers, amongst whom was one of his Sons, who fled with four thousand Men to the King of Weemey.
Finding himself in these Circumstances, he resolved to make one grand Effort on the Yahoos, in which he prevailed; but tho’ he beat them out of their Fastnesses, he gain’d little by it, they making a brave Retreat, in which his wearied Soldiers could not pursue them; and soon after he returned to his own Country, with the loss of most of his Forces and of his Reputation.
At this the People of Jaqueen were not a little pleased; for they always stood in fear of him, but now began to entertain Hopes, he might at last be destroyed.
There resided at that Place, a Dutch Gentleman named Mynheer Hertog. This Person carried on a considerable Trade, with the help of his black Servants, into several distant Countries, by means of a River that runs from Jaqueen into the Bay of Bennin. Having gained a great influence over the King of Jaqueen, they often consulted together, sending private Messages by the Traders to the King of Weemey, and other neighbouring Princes, to stir them up against the King of Dahomè, and withal supplied them with Ammunition. Of this the King of Dahomè having received Intelligence, and also that the People of Jaqueen were going to build a Fortification by the Directions of the Europeans residing there; he resolved to attack them, in order to be revenged.
The better to deceive them, he gave out, that he intended a second Expedition far inland: And to blind the Jaqueen Spies, he gave Order to his General to march towards the inland Parts, but in the Night the Army wheeled about, and with great Expedition (tho’ there were above fifteen thousand men in this Army) they came by the way of Whidaw to Jaqueen, without being discovered, till they were just entring the Town.
As the People of Jaqueen stood always in dread of the King of Dahomè, (as I have just now mention’d) they kept in readiness a great many Cannoes in the River that runs on the back part of the Town, to save themselves, in case they should be attacked and defeated. But being now surprized, they had little time to provide for their own Safety: However, the King and many of his principal People escaped in the Cannoes, to an Island he had fortified against such an Accident, and which lies in the middle of the River towards Appah. By that means he escaped the fury of the Dahomes; but he lost all his Riches, and, to add to his Misfortune, his Mother, (that was highly reverenced by him and his People) was taken Prisoner by the Enemy, and carried to the King of Dahomè; and what became of her afterwards is unknown.
Mynheer Hertog, the Dutch Chief, was at dinner, when the Dahomes entered the Town: And knowing how obnoxious he had made himself to their King, he immediately fled, being defended by four hundred of his People from the Enemy, till he got into a Cannoe; and then they shifted for themselves. He lost every thing in the Factory, which at that time was full of European Goods to a very great Value. This Gentleman escaped to Appah, which lies on the Sea Coast, about ten Leagues to the eastward of Jaqueen. He was kindly received by the King and People, who have a great aversion for the Dahomes.
In the Town of Jaqueen the Conquerors met with a great deal of Plunder, the Inhabitants not having had time to carry any thing away. But not satisfied with this, they made, according to their barbarous Custom, a terrible Carnage of the People; and to compleat the Destruction of the Country, set all the Towns and Villages on fire.
There were at this time in Jaqueen several Europeans, who fared little better than the Natives; their Factories being plundered of every thing. Amongst the rest there was Captain Robert More Commander of the Squirrel Galley, belonging to the late Humphrey Morrice Esq; This Gentleman being taken Prisoner with the white Men in his Factory, (as the French and Portuguese also were in theirs) was obliged to travel with them to the King of Dahomè, who then resided at Ardra, about fifty Miles within Land. And they were not so much as provided with Hammocks, or any other Carriages, but forced to walk on foot in the scorching Sun, which had like to have kill’d them.
Upon their appearing before the King, Captain More complained of his hard usage; telling his Majesty, “They had had no Victuals nor any Refreshment since they had been taken Prisoners.” The King thereupon rose up, and went into an inner room; whence coming out again with a Hatchet in his Hand, the sight of it so frightned some of the Portuguese, that they fell on their Knees to implore his Mercy; imagining their Heads were going to be cut off. But Captain More severely upbraiding them for their cowardly Behaviour, so disgraceful to white Men, they rose up: And had soon after the pleasure of seeing a small Cask of Beef opened with it, and several pieces ordered to be dress’d for them. This Cask of Beef, it seems, was found by the Soldiers in the Captain’s Factory, and sent up with other Plunder, to the King, the day before.
Then they were distributed according to their different Nations, and put under the care of several great Men. Captain More and his People were delivered to Allegee the English Cabocier; (as he was termed) that is, the Person appointed to Trade with them in particular. This black Gentleman treated them with great Civility; but they had the Mortification, a few days after, to hear, he was seized and beheaded; tho’ they could never learn the Cause.
It seems the King of Dahomè is grown exceedingly cruel towards his People, being always suspicious, that Plots and Conspiracies are carrying on against him: So that he frequently cuts off some of his great Men on bare Surmises. This, added to the many Disappointments he has met with from the J-oes, has so soured his Temper, that he is likewise greatly altered towards the Europeans, as Captain More experienced. For this Gentleman had been at his Camp formerly, and was known to him soon after the Conquest of Whidaw, as I have related in the former part of this Book.
Besides, both King and People continue as savage as ever, tho’ they have conversed for several Years past with white Men. For one day the Council having begged a Captive, his Majesty readily gave them one, whom they killed and feasted on.
But to return to Captain More. He and the other Europeans having continued a good while Prisoners, Mr. Dean, the African Company’s Governor of the Fort at Whidaw, came to Ardra, and interceded with the King for them: Representing, “As they had been at Jaqueen only on account of Trade, it was very unjust to detain them.” With these and many other Arguments, he at last obtained their Freedom: And a Guard was ordered to see Captain More safe down to Jaqueen. But he reflecting on the hard usage he had received at that place from the Soldiers, when at first taken Prisoner; and that they still were encamped there, he chose to go by the way of Whidaw: From whence he got on board a French Ship, and borrowed their Boat, which carried him to his own Ship, that lay in the Road of Jaqueen.
From this and the foregoing Account the Reader may observe, that now all the Countries near the Sea side, which the King of Dahomè could possibly get at, are not only conquered, but also turned into Desolation, with the Inland Parts, in so terrible a manner, that there is no Prospect of Trade’s reviving there again for many Years, or at least so long as the Conqueror lives. What little there is, is carried on chiefly at Appah, a place secured from him by a Morass and a River.
The End of BOOK I.