Canamina, its Population--Adawie--Preparations for entering the Capital--Abomey--My hospitable Reception--Visit from Mayho, the Prime Minister--Message from the King--The Palace--The Market-place--Dead Bodies of Criminals hung up--My Reception by his Majesty--Ceremony on Introduction--Conversation with the King--Perform the Sword Exercise before him--His Approbation--Troops of Female Soldiers--The King’s Person--Ceremony of the Introduction of Military Officers--Dress of the Female Soldiers--Introduced to the King’s Chiefs--Visits--The King’s Staff--Review of Native Troops--Feigned Attack on a Town--The King’s Soldier-wives--Ashantee Prince--His Majesty’s Opinion of England and the English--The vain Boasting of the Ashantee Prince silenced by the King--Principal Officers--The Dahoman Women formidable Soldiers. At four miles and a half from Togbado, reached Canamina, a large town, scattered over a vast area of ground, the land level and well cultivated, resembling our fields in England. The country is open to a considerable distance. This town contains at least ten thousand inhabitants. The King has here also a house for the accommodation of white people, although they so seldom visit this place. Ever since Mr. Freeman’s visit, the King has been very anxious to encourage intercourse with English people. At this place we remained for the night, and were well accommodated. Early on the following morning, June 10th, the pretended governor of the English fort at Whydah, a deceitful old scoundrel, who created himself governor of the fort under the pretence of taking care of it, though, as I had before stated, he has let all go to ruin except the part he himself occupies, met me at Canamina, for the purpose of introducing me to the town of Abomey. After breakfast I cleaned my regimentals, and my white servant got my horse and trappings; ready and the day being fine, I formed a very decent turn out, my regimentals being good, the same as then worn in my old regiment, the First Life Guards. I was amused at the vanity of the old governor, who showed a great anxiety to precede me, with a view of making it appear to the people that he was my superior, and that I was merely his escort. He himself was carried in an old ragged hammock by four negroes, and was dressed in an old worn-out gambroon coat of English pattern. This piece of vanity I suffered him to indulge in till we arrived at Adawie, three miles and a half from Canamina, and with the same bearing as the previous day. I then ordered him to fall in my rear, which order he pretended not to understand. I galloped up to his hammock and stopped him. This seemed to mortify him very much, particularly as he had always informed the people of this place that he was one of the greatest men of Whydah, and had been appointed by the Queen of England as governor over all white men.