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Article SLAVE COUNTRIES. ← Page 3 of 5 →
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Slave Countries.
The government of the Dahomans is so unhappily constituted , tliat although they are subjected to the most cruel . despotism ^ yet at particular times they are exposed to all the disorders of the most licentious anarchy ; for on the death of the king , till the appointment -of his successor , the government is in fact dissolved . A horrid scene commences in the palace immediately after the king expires . The wives ofthe deceased begin with breaking and destroying the
furniture of the house , the gold and silver . ornaments and Utensils , the coral , and , in short , everything of value that belonged either to themselves or to the late king , and then murder one another . Similar outrages are committed in every part of the kingdom ; which continue till the Tameganand Mayhou have announced the successor , and he has taken possession of the palace .
In the kingdom of Eyeo , situated north-east from Dahomy , a custom prevails which is too extraordinary to be passed over in silence .. — When the people have conceived an opinion of the ill government of their king , which is sometimes insidiously infused into them by the artifice of his discontented ministers , they send a deputation to him , with a present of parrot ' s eggs , as a mark of its authenticity , to represent to him that the burden of government must have so farfatigue'd
hint , that they consider it full time for him to repose from his cares , arid indulge himself with a little sleep ; he thanks his subjects for their attention to his ease , retires to his apartment as if to sleep , and there gives directions to his women to strangle him . This is immediately executed , ; and his son quietly ascends the throne , on the usual terms of holding the reiiis of government no longer than while
lie merits the approbation of the people . It is said that there never was an instance of a king of Eyeo refusing to comply with the wishes of his subjects , expressed in this singular manner , till the year 1774 , when the reigning monarch had sense and fortitude enough to resist such a ridiculous custom . He peremptorily refused the parrot ' s eggs , which had been offered for his acceptance ; telling his ministers that as yet he had no inclination to take a nap , but was resolved to watch for the benefit of his people .
REMARKABBE SPEECH OF ADAIIO 0 NZOU TO MR . ABSON , AN ENGLISH GENTLEMAN , ON BEING INFORMED OF WHAT HAD PASSED IN ENGLAND ON THE SUBJECT OF THE SLAVE-TRADE . "• I admire the reasoning of the white men ; but , with all their sense , it does not appear that they have thoroughly studied the nature © f the blacks , whose disposition differs as much from that of the whitesas their colour . The same great Being formed both ; and
, since it hath seemed convenient for him to distinguish mankind by opposite complections , it is a fair conclusion to presume that there may be as great a disagreement in the qualities of their minds ; there is likewise a remarkable difference between the countries which we inhabit . You , Englishmen , for instance , as I have been informed , are surrounded by the oceanand by this situation seem intended to
, told communication with the whole world , which you do by means of ^ . ur ships ; whilst we Dahomans , being placed on a large continent , rid hemmed in amidst a variety of other people , ofthe same com-VOL . V , Si
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Slave Countries.
The government of the Dahomans is so unhappily constituted , tliat although they are subjected to the most cruel . despotism ^ yet at particular times they are exposed to all the disorders of the most licentious anarchy ; for on the death of the king , till the appointment -of his successor , the government is in fact dissolved . A horrid scene commences in the palace immediately after the king expires . The wives ofthe deceased begin with breaking and destroying the
furniture of the house , the gold and silver . ornaments and Utensils , the coral , and , in short , everything of value that belonged either to themselves or to the late king , and then murder one another . Similar outrages are committed in every part of the kingdom ; which continue till the Tameganand Mayhou have announced the successor , and he has taken possession of the palace .
In the kingdom of Eyeo , situated north-east from Dahomy , a custom prevails which is too extraordinary to be passed over in silence .. — When the people have conceived an opinion of the ill government of their king , which is sometimes insidiously infused into them by the artifice of his discontented ministers , they send a deputation to him , with a present of parrot ' s eggs , as a mark of its authenticity , to represent to him that the burden of government must have so farfatigue'd
hint , that they consider it full time for him to repose from his cares , arid indulge himself with a little sleep ; he thanks his subjects for their attention to his ease , retires to his apartment as if to sleep , and there gives directions to his women to strangle him . This is immediately executed , ; and his son quietly ascends the throne , on the usual terms of holding the reiiis of government no longer than while
lie merits the approbation of the people . It is said that there never was an instance of a king of Eyeo refusing to comply with the wishes of his subjects , expressed in this singular manner , till the year 1774 , when the reigning monarch had sense and fortitude enough to resist such a ridiculous custom . He peremptorily refused the parrot ' s eggs , which had been offered for his acceptance ; telling his ministers that as yet he had no inclination to take a nap , but was resolved to watch for the benefit of his people .
REMARKABBE SPEECH OF ADAIIO 0 NZOU TO MR . ABSON , AN ENGLISH GENTLEMAN , ON BEING INFORMED OF WHAT HAD PASSED IN ENGLAND ON THE SUBJECT OF THE SLAVE-TRADE . "• I admire the reasoning of the white men ; but , with all their sense , it does not appear that they have thoroughly studied the nature © f the blacks , whose disposition differs as much from that of the whitesas their colour . The same great Being formed both ; and
, since it hath seemed convenient for him to distinguish mankind by opposite complections , it is a fair conclusion to presume that there may be as great a disagreement in the qualities of their minds ; there is likewise a remarkable difference between the countries which we inhabit . You , Englishmen , for instance , as I have been informed , are surrounded by the oceanand by this situation seem intended to
, told communication with the whole world , which you do by means of ^ . ur ships ; whilst we Dahomans , being placed on a large continent , rid hemmed in amidst a variety of other people , ofthe same com-VOL . V , Si