After the usual ceremony of presenting me with provisions had been gone through, and I had thanked my generous host, the caboceer and his attendants repeated the same form of prostration and throwing dust over their heads, and rubbing dust over the arms and head, acknowledging my thanks. The caboceer’s and my own taster now commenced tasting every dish, in order to shew me that everything was good and wholesome. Then, after drinking water with the caboceer, as a mark of sincere friendship, we were left to devour our food, my soldiers and other people using their naked fingers even in eating stews and soups, and each individual endeavouring to cope with his comrade. We were also furnished with plenty of peto, which is here manufactured in a superior manner. After breakfast several Dahoman traders came to pay court to me. One of them presented me with a very large Guinea fowl, quite black, with jet black legs. The caboceer also presented me with two of the common Guinea fowl, and some of the traders or merchants from Dahomey subscribed and purchased some goats, and some peto, which they presented to me. In fact, during the whole day presents were arriving from different parties. Amongst them was a very old woman, apparently about ninety years of age, and nearly blind. This poor old creature, anxious to show her loyalty to the King and respect for his stranger, presented me with two eggs and four strings of cowries, in all probability all that she possessed in the world. She expressed her shame at making so small a present, but I assured her that a white man did not estimate a gift according to its intrinsic value, but according to the intention with which it was bestowed, and told her to remember that the Great Fetish above, God Almighty (for they have an idea of such a Being) did not estimate our gifts by their magnitude, but by the purity and sincerity of the heart. In return for her present I gave her as much as I did to those who had given me a hundred times the value. This seemed to give universal satisfaction to the multitude assembled. After receiving the presents the poor old woman prostrated herself after the manner of her country, and remained in a kneeling posture till she had sung a song in praise of the white stranger.