After passing a short distance farther through the bush, composed chiefly of the shea butter-tree, as well as the male and female palm, with many other shrubs of the laurel species, we again came upon an open plain, with the exception of a few clumps here and there sprinkled over the surface, giving it the appearance of a gentleman’s park in England, were it not for the length and rankness of the grass, which is here never less than three or four feet. Mountains richly wooded now broke upon the view, bearing E.N.E., and about eight hundred feet high, with here and there immense blocks of granite, showing their crowns above some of the tallest trees. The soil here, at fifteen miles, changed, and I observed small blocks or boulders of granite and whinstone, with a thin stratum of sandy clay of a drab colour. At nineteen miles the path again changed to N.E., and at twenty miles we came upon the small kroom of Dtheno, through which the path runs. In this kroom is a custom-house for collecting the duties upon all goods carried through it, from whatever part they come. The heaviest duties are imposed upon tobacco and rum, which are brought from the coast in great quantities: these goods are chiefly of Brazilian and American manufacture. The rum is invariably of a very bad quality. A small duty is also imposed upon all regular traders, even on articles of native growth or manufacture. This is imposed upon the trader instead of license, and is considered more fair to the trader; for should he not sell his goods he has not the duty to pay; but, on the other hand, if he has a good trade, he can afford to pay the low rates of duty. These custom-house establishments are invariably the property of some one of the King of Dahomey’s ministers, as well as all the duties collected at such establishments. They are established in all the most convenient parts of certain districts, by the same rule as our turnpike-gates in England, so that every person must pass through them. These customs are bestowed by the King as the rewards of conquest upon his caboceers,--each of his Majesty’s cabinet ministers, or caboceers, having an array of his own; and when a war takes place, and the Dahomans prove victorious, the town taken is considered as belonging to the minister or caboceer whose soldiers capture the town; or rather, his right of monopolizing the trade of the town is established, so far as to supply it himself with all goods of British manufacture or produce, with the exception of such traders as have obtained permits as a proof of their having paid the duty. The trade is entrusted to the most confidential or head men belonging to the caboceer owning the trade. I found them invariably clever, intelligent, and generous people. The King also imposes upon each caboceer a slight duty, according to the amount of their trade.