THE DAY OF TRIUMPH.
On Wednesday, January 20th, we were suddenly summoned in the hot sun of
2 P.M. to the Komasi Palace. As we sat under the south-eastern corner
shade we were greeted with Al-Afiyah by our companions in misfortune,
the Moslems, who wore their usual snowy turbands and long white and blue
robes. Men in war tunics and wrappers hurried to the palace, and strings
of women were coming out all dust, showing that they had been made over
as wives to new captains.
We entered and sat down as usual beneath the thin tamarind tree,
opposite the huge whitewashed storehouse. Everything was very military:
the King’s verandah was a line of poor, sooty, and tattered umbrellas,
and before us were four similar, also blackened: one of these was for
the fetishmen, whose ten iron sticks were planted in the ground.
Opposite them, and on our side—the left—were seven umbrellas, and within
the bamboos stood the Fanti women fresh returned from the campaign. They
were in fighting garb, with white fillets round their heads, short
drawers, brown war tunics like the men’s, and not longer than kilts,
girt with white sashes and kept in position by cartridge boxes, with
brilliant pouches on their left sides, bright muskets, razors and
knives. Their ornaments were necklaces, projecting _glorias_ of brown
monkey skins, quantities of fetish beads, talismans and other
decorations about their breasts, and brass and iron rings on their left
arms. They were commanded by Danh-ji-hun-to, a thin, yellow, middle-aged
woman, with a hoarse voice and wearing two diminutive antelope horns on
her forehead.
At 4.25 P.M. a long line of unarmed men ran up, in Indian file, and
deposited near the bamboo barrier fifteen little bundles of coarse
matting. They were followed by four loads of calabashes, a bit of broken
canoe, a sheep and a goat carried in arms, nine old muskets and other
equally valuable trophies, which were ranged by the gallant captors in a
semi-circle before the King. Silence was proclaimed by a knot of some
eighty fighteresses and wives, who sat together in the open air on the
right of the throne, with their “drum,” three small rattles, and one
cymbal, on their proper left. The front rank wore silver horns; each
waved a fly-flapper when singing, and the handles of their long knives
were hung with pink streamers. Behind them were successively silver
hair, spangles, white fillets, and red nightcaps, placed loosely on the
heads of the blunderbuss women to keep off the sun. One had the true
sweep’s face, with cherry lips, and glaring white eyes set in deep
circles of black. All the _troupe_ squatted on their heels, kneeling up
when the emphasis of the song required it.
The fat Adanejan opened the speeching: the gist of his lengthiness was,
that Eddon, chief of Jabatan, a town of Makhi-speaking Nagos in Agoni,
about one day beyond Iketu, had ever been a spy and a malignant, sending
in reports to the King’s enemy, Abeokuta. The place had been taken after
six shots; there were few prisoners, as all the men ran away,
consequently the captors had proved themselves poor soldiers. The mat
bundles, then opened, disclosed human skulls imperfectly cleaned, some
being only smoke dried. One was much shattered, and another had part of
the green scalp adhering to the bone. It was a shabby display compared
with the days when, after an attack on Badagry, Sinmenkpen (Adahoonzou
II.) bought of his men 6000 crania.
The four skulls “with names” were then presented by the Adanejan as
Chabi the second chief, a Vodun-no or fetish woman, and Favi and Adibi,
two princes. Followed the live male prisoners of distinction. They were
naked to the waist, which was wrapped in blue calico, and they knelt,
with hands tied before and elbows connected behind by a lanyard, which
was held by a soldier, also on his knees. At each presentation a servant
of the Adanejan placed both hands upon the captive’s shoulders, standing
behind him, and called out his name and rank, which were repeated to the
King by a high officeress. The following fourteen were presented: First
were three boys; Eddon the chief, a miserably lean scowling man, who
will certainly lose his head, and Doicha Vodun-no, his brother; three
princes, Legbo, Bwedon, and Yabi; a hunter and a chief drummer; Chago, a
boy, one of the chief’s nephews, three small children, black, yellow,
and brown; and three sons of hunters, Bosu, Akholu, and Bosan. After
presentation, they were all led away by the men.
A violent drumming introduced nine women “with names,” as follows:
Chago, Epwe, Ayinan, and Ede, wives of the chief—the third very old, the
last aged about ten; Meneke and Yabu, hunters’ wives; Loko-si, a
hunter’s sister; Nyon, a Tansi-no, or fetish woman for the King; and
Ojohon, the daughter of a chief long ago slain. Behind them stood
several others, who were not named. The women captives, including one
with a babe at the breast, born on the march—
O Lucina ferox, hoc peperisse fuit?
—were led away by the women troops.
After this function, two boys and two girls were brought in from left to
right, were placed kneeling before and were presented as gifts to the
King. These the first fruits of the capture, are never bound till in the
royal presence: they are technically called So-si or Thunder-tail.[201]
After this customary ceremony, the messengeresses took the end of the
long tether connected with each small left arm, and conducted the
tribute into the harim.
Five soldier-prisoners were next placed on their knees, and were named
like the captives; one had lost his gun, another had tied up his sword
in a bundle, a third had no gunpowder, a fourth no ball, and the last
had drawn the royal ammunition without bringing back either head or
prisoner. The recreants were huddled away to jail, and their sentence
was confirmed by prolonged “Ububu,” from the male, and “Khe” on the part
of the feminine soldiery.
The Addugba drum then struck up. It is played by public women, an
organized and royal institution, appointed from the palace, and placed
under the Meu for the comfort and refreshment of the lieges.[202] The
present King has appointed a fresh troop of ladies of pleasure, but they
have not as yet received permission to practise. At first the
_honorarium_ was twenty cowries; hence the common title “Ko-si,” score-
wife or _quadrantaria_[203]: at the representation of the ministers the
_solatium_ was increased to two strings, or fourfold. They drum during
the day at the royal abode, and late at night they return to their own
quarters, near the Bwekon village and the Agbome Gate. There are
peculiarities about the institution which will presently strike the
reader.
The Addugba, “for outside,” consisted of four men and two women, the
latter standing behind with veiled bosoms, blue pagnes, and white
fillets: they used as fans discs of thin brass, pierced with holes and
surmounting long light handles. Their leader had a leathern apron, after
the fashion of the Lake Regions, but lined and streaked with cowries.
There were also the Ko-si, or _quadrantariæ_, “for inside,” an amount of
cynicism, which I had hardly expected. This internal Addugba stood
behind the warrioresses on the left of the throne, and wore red
headkerchiefs, and white and scarlet tunics, with lines of yellow cloth,
under blue pagnes. The men knelt and performed in the presence of the
King. The Adanejan now brought forward a sixth prisoner, and explained
his offence, deserting to Iketu, and attempting to join Jabatan. This
caitiff was also led off by his rope.
Shouts and trills announced that cowries and cloth were being brought
from the palace. Each owner of a skull received for it a head of shells
(equal to two shillings),[204] and the grizzly semi-circle broke up. The
fetisheers sang:—
E Bo-hun e degi.
The Bo-drum (of war), it is very good!
All the captives “with names” advanced on their knees up a lane leading
towards the King, and formed by ministers on one side and by captains on
the other. Their cords were held by their captors, who sold them to the
Crown. The minimum price was one head and two fathoms of cloth: an old
woman with children in her arms, and presently led off to the harim,
fetched the maximum, a large cloth and two heads and a half. All except
a small child, that cried a little with fear, showed the utmost
stoicism. The captors were then, with the usual ceremonies, invested by
the ministers; and each cloth was acknowledged with cries, to the soft
sounds of flageolets and the tinkling of cymbals. The prisoners “without
names” were then sold. Finally, the chief Eddon and his brother Doicha
were placed kneeling before the throne. His lucky captor, “Kiko,” a
young captain, after ample praise from the King as a warman that had
brought in three skulls, received, by various instalments, a total of
sixteen heads and a long white cloth. The capturer of the chief’s
brother received a pink pagne.
Divers decorated men now came hastily forward with war-axes and “blue
knives.” One youth declared that he would slay eighty, others forty of
the foe, and others still more moderately: at the end of this boasting
all prostrated and shovelled up the dust. “Ago” proclaimed Silence! and
the Adanejan told the public, to cries of “Tamulé!” that they must fight
bravely against Abeokuta. They clapped hands, received cowries and
liquor, and retired. The Gau and five men then made furious speeches
about the Egbas, ending with a sandbath, and the King caused villanous
cachinnation by declaring that when “spreading a table” for his father
he must place Jabatan upon it. To which the lanky chief listened without
moving even an eye-lid.
The Blue and afterwards the Fanti Companies rose, and capered from side
to side. Four Ananun-wa-hwisu, or “blue knives,” were then placed before
the King, and a corresponding number of women rushed out, grounded
muskets, took up the _armes blanches_, and danced like furies. As usual,
the men imitated them. It being my turn to give “bakhshish,” I wrote a
promissory note of 100 dols. for the women and 50 dols. for the men, who
have other means of subsistence. The bamboo fence was thrust out, and
Gelele came to the fore, dressed in a white fillet and a Mauve-coloured
tobe, one woman fanning and another shading him with a red and yellow
parasol. We remained seated as he harangued the lieges about my gift,
and whilst the herald shouted his strong names he declared that
Abeokuta, being no longer the Englishmen’s friend, must be broken. After
presenting cloth to his new favourite, the Ajyaho, and requesting me to
come to-morrow and address my company, he sent to us the usual two
flowered caraffes of rum, upon which we soon beat a retreat into the
cool moonshine.
At 1 P.M. on Thursday, January 21, we again went to the palace, and
found a similar _mise-en-scène_. About 200 Blues, some with gunpowdered
cheeks and forehead, were squatting in a semicircle before the throne:
on its right was a knot of about sixty female singers, on its left the
same number of Fanti women. The band, with waved hands and loud hums at
the end of each strophe, were singing:—
A dog fetches game for its master;
So the King brought Ishagga to his father’s ghost:
which sounded much like bathos or anti-climax. The ensuing clamour,
boasting, presenting arms and fearfully lengthy songs, were sleepy work
as well as absurd. That ancient Pistol, Adan-men-nun-kon, strode up and
down before the King, shouting Ye-ge! and pretending to weep over the
doom of the Egbas, who were eating and drinking, laughing and talking,
all heedless of the evil which awaited them. He was unconsciously
uttering his own death wail.
Another song, a storm of drums and rattles, and a “blue knife” dance,
summoned the King to perform, which, however, he did not. Two swords and
sash-belts sent to the chief’s captors, an old musket and powder pouches
or cartridge boxes, each worth perhaps a shilling, distributed amongst
the less deserving, caused a renewal of saltation and saluting. Two
piles of two hundred cowrie-heads, surrounded by rum bottles, were
heaped up “for woman’s side,” and “for man’s side”: amongst the
workwomen we recognised the Yavedo—Mr. Dawson’s younger mother—a large
black girl, perhaps ten years younger than her son. After more speeches,
vows and advice, especially from the Gau, who told the soldiers to
prepare provisions so as not to faint on the road, twenty-five kegs[205]
of powder were exhibited as the material for the morrow’s firing.
As sunset was approaching, the King summoned me before him to address
his guards. I was accompanied by Mr. Cruikshank and by Messrs. Bernasko
and Dawson, the “Prince Bah,” _alias_ Beecham, interpreting. I began by
saying that amongst us the officer is answerable when the soldier is
unprepared for fight. Our mode of inspecting and examining arms was then
shown. Against this nothing could be advanced. I next proposed to place
the left hand under the trigger guard, and inserting a knife handle into
the barrel muzzle, imitated our original bayonet. The King at once
objected, firstly, that it is good for soldiers even in play to run
risk, and, secondly, that they were expected to “go in” and “give a
touch” with their daggers. He evidently is, or would be, a “_général à
dix mille hommes par semaine_.” Of course, nothing remained to say but
that every country has its customs; and that amongst us it is, or it
ought to be,
“More honourable far _servare_
_Civem_ than slay an adversary.”
Being then urged to address the Blues, I exhorted them to talk less and
to do more, quoting,
Avun do kho, e do kho, e dume a.
A dog (who) talketh palaver, he talketh palaver, he biteth not.
This the old landlord illustrated by falling on all fours, and growling
like the _canidæ_, which here do not bark.[206] It being a Dahoman
fashion to praise the women at the expense of the men, I told the latter
that in our country the feminine gender was garrulous, and the masculine
silent, whereas at Agbome the phenomenon was reversed. As Adan-men-nun-
kon again violently addressed his monarch, he was told to keep all that
energy for the King of Abeokuta. The women, after deriding him, thanked
me, through their commanding officer, and next morning came a present of
provisions from both companies, with the usual complimentary message
that they had sat up all night pondering over the words of wisdom which
had fallen from my lips.
We were summoned on Friday, January 22nd, but business detained the King
till sunset, when he accepted an excuse. Saturday also was a day of
rest, our notes requiring to be written out. The time slips easily away
at Agbome. Rising with the dawn, we set out as soon as the hammock-men
can be collected, and walk till nine A.M. Refection follows till eleven,
and my lesson in Ffon outlasts the noon. If we visit the Komasi Palace,
the rest of the day will be a blank; the brain becomes so weary that
work in the evening is impossible. If we avoid it, the afternoon is an
inverted copy of the forenoon.
[Footnote 201: So (thunder, or heavy firing of guns), sí (a tail; not to
be confounded with ’sì for assì, a wife). The animal’s tail is the
hunter’s trophy, and he always removes it the first.]
[Footnote 202: So far Dahome is in advance of us. We now begin to see
the advantage of Lock Hospitals for the soldier, when every man of sense
recognized it years ago.]
[Footnote 203: Ko-si is not insulting; Agaleto, or _buona roba_, is;
Agaleto-vi—filius meretricis—is a common abusive phrase.]
[Footnote 204: In the History, the utmost price of a skull is twenty
ackies of cowries, or thirty shillings; of a captive thirty-two cabess,
cabeça, or head of cowries, equal to £16.]
[Footnote 205: The mark was “Kames Mills,” probably American sold as
English gunpowder, which the King prefers, finding, it is said, too much
charcoal in the French.]
[Footnote 206: In the kingdom of Uganda, north of Unyamwezi, courtiers
acknowledge the presence by wallowing and whining like dogs. Here they
wallow, but do not whine.]