The town of Lagos, built at the mouth of the River Ogun, which
debouches in the Bight of Benin, is a healthy place, and well
situated for trade. It is the seaport also of Abbeokuta, a town of
considerable dimensions, 60 miles inland from it, and which it is
hoped will become a very important place now that Lagos is open for
legal commerce. The River Ogun is navigable for vessels for some
burden as high as Abbeokuta, but it was formerly entirely closed by
the people of Lagos to all trade except that in slaves. Abbeokuta is
in the Toruba country, a most fertile tract, far larger than England,
and it is about 150 miles from Abomey, the capital of Dahomey, while
Lagos is on the other side of it. Clapperton, who passed through the
country in 1825, describes it as rich and fertile, well supplied with
native manufactures, and free from the curse of the slave-trade, the
people living happily in perfect peace and security. Shortly
afterwards, however, it was ravaged by slave-trade wars, and the
peace and prosperity he witnessed was succeeded by the most frightful
atrocities and devastation. Within the last 30 years not a single
house stood at Abbeokuta; the natural strength of its situation,
however, pointed it out as a place of refuge from the curse that was
desolating the country, and the remnant of the population of no less
than 130 towns assembled together for mutual security. Abbeokuta now
contains at least 50,000 inhabitants.
Since 1839 the gradual diminution of the slave-trade effected by the
British squadron had favoured the progress of agriculture, and
secured another interval of rest and peace for the country; when, in
1840, a movement commenced, which appears to be providentially
directed to exercise a powerful influence over the destinies of
Africa.
A very large number of the Toruba tribe, who during the wars spoken
of had been shipped as slaves at Lagos, were captured by English
cruizers, and liberated in Sierra Leone, where they imbibed the
habits of civilized life, while their hearts still yearned towards
their native land.
In 1840, fifteen of the Toruba people were deputed by the rest to
visit their country, in order to obtain information relative to its
state. They landed at Lagos, where they were treated with great
cruelty by the slave-dealers. They were robbed of their property,
and some lives were lost. The remainder escaped into the interior,
and reached Abbeokuta, which, to their surprise, they found had
sprung up on a spot where no habitation had existed formerly. They
then embarked at Badagry, and returned to Sierra Leone, carrying with
them the intelligence that the country was comparatively safe, and
that they had been most kindly received by the inhabitants. In 1841
a number of these people, clubbing together, returned to their native
country, and others following, 3,000 British subjects are now settled
in Abbeokuta, and others at Badagry, the only available seaport to it
while Lagos prevented the navigation of the Ogan.
In 1845 the Church Missionary Society formed an establishment at
Abbeokuta, under the title of the Toruba Mission, with a branch at
Badagry, and far distant from British protection, six or seven
missionaries are now devoting their lives to the great work
Providence has opened to them in the heart of Africa.
The Rev. Samuel Crowther, one of the mission, is himself a native of
the Toruba country. In a midnight attack upon his town, when quite a
child, he was carried off as a slave. The vessel he was shipped in
was captured by a British cruiser, and after being liberated at
Sierre Leone, he was educated at the Church Missionary school. He
then became a schoolmaster; and, after several years' trial, he was
sent to England for ordination, and then proceeded to his native land
to Christianize his fellow-countrymen. One of the first persons he
met was his own mother, and she was his first convert. Thus by the
wonderful dispensation of Providence, slaves torn from their homes
and their country have traversed 1,500 miles by sea, to return
Christian and civilized men, and to spread these blessings over the
land of their birth.
Now as the power of the king of Dahomey depends on the success of his
slave wars, which have been the source of his wealth, the influence
Abbeokuta was spreading adverse to the slave-trade was too important
to be longer neglected, and he therefore, with a great army, suddenly
appeared before its walls in March, 1851. The attack, however, was
expected, and the Dahoman army was utterly defeated.
This event was followed by an attack on Badagry by the chief of
Lagos, when an Englishman and a Krooman were killed, and a large
amount of English property destroyed. Since his defeat the king of
Dahomey had been preparing for the destruction of Abbeokuta, in which
he was to be aided by the chief of Lagos. The people of Lagos had
long been trained to arms in their habitual slave wars, and they
possessed at least 5,000 muskets and 60 pieces of cannon.
From these facts, added to which they had 100 armed canoes, we may
estimate the enormous power of mischief possessed by Lagos over the
comparatively defenceless country around. It therefore, for the
cause of humanity, became very important that a check should be given
to the proceeding of the chief of Lagos. Indeed, as a nest of piracy
and plunder, the destruction of Lagos was a duty owing by civilized
nations to themselves. Indeed, the treatment of the liberated
Africans in 1840, the destruction of English life and property at
Badagry, and the constant buying and selling of the people of Sierra
Leone, and other outrages, loudly called for redress. Indeed, common
justice to the heroic devotion of British officers and men at Lagos
requires that the great importance of this enterprise should be fully
understood by the people of England, who have so long demanded the
suppression of the slave-trade, and who will not fail to appreciate
the gallant struggle which has struck the death-blow to the last
remnant of the crime over 2,500 miles of coast.
The more immediate cause of the attack on Lagos appears to have been
in consequence of an application made for assistance by Akitoye, the
lawful chief of Lagos, to Mr. Beecroft, the British Consul for the
Bights of Benin, residing at Fernando Po.
Akitoye, the younger of two brothers, had, by his father's will,
succeeded as king of Lagos. The elder Kosoko had been, for
misbehaviour, banished. After the death of the old king, Akitoye
recalled Kosoko, and took him into favour; but Kosoko, bribing the
army, usurped the government and drove Akitoye to take refuge at
Badagry. On this Kosoko prepared to attack Badagry, and had he been
successful would doubtlessly, as he intended, have attacked Abbeokuta
also, and given a blow to the advance of Christianity and
civilization in Africa, from which it would have taken her long to
recover. On this account Mr. Beecroft felt it his duty to apply to
the senior officer on the coast for a force to destroy Lagos, his
movements being hurried by hearing that the king of Dahomey had sent
1,000 picked troops for its support.
FIRST EXPEDITION TO LAGOS, AND ATTACK ON THE
'BLOODHOUND' AND BOATS OF THE SQUADRON BY THE
FOLLOWERS OF KOSOKO.
After Akitoye had escaped to Badagry, when he was in danger of being
pursued by his brother, he applied to Mr. Beecroft for British
protection, if not for assistance to restore him to his government.
The Commodore, on receiving Mr. Beecroft's report, and believing that
Kosoko would not venture to offer any annoyance, despatched the
'Bloodhound,' with a few boats in tow, to accompany Mr. Beecroft,
with a flag-of-truce up the river Ogan to Lagos, the seat of his
government. Mr. Beecroft was directed to represent to Kosoko that he
came as a messenger of peace to advise and negotiate with him, but in
no way to commit any act of hostility. Indeed the strength of the
squadron of boats was totally inadequate for any such purpose.
Kosoko, however, somewhat naturally, did not comprehend this system
of proceeding. Seeing a steamer and eighteen armed boats coming up
towards his town, he disregarded the flag-of-truce, and became firmly
impressed with the idea that they had hostile intentions. Instantly
collecting his war-canoes, a very considerable and formidable fleet
was got together to retard the advance of the supposed enemy, while
the barracoons at the side of the river and every available spot was
lined with his troops, well armed with muskets, and possessed of no
small number of great guns. As the 'Bloodhound' and boats,
therefore, advanced up the river, in spite of the flag-of-truce, they
encountered a severe fire from the concealed batteries along the
whole line of the shore. Still steadily on they went, returning the
fire with interest from their own guns till they got abreast of the
town. A desperate and gallant dash was then made for the shore.
Some of the stockades were carried, the enemy driven back, and the
town entered and fired; but again the negroes rallied and came down
in overwhelming numbers on the British. It was soon evident that
their force was inadequate to hold the place: two officers were
already killed and several men wounded. Unwillingly, therefore, they
were compelled to retreat, and gaining their boats, pulled out of
gun-shot, and anchored till the following morning. They then left
the river, well assured that the treachery of Kosoko would speedily
be punished.