Travels in Western Africa in 1845 & 1846, Volume 1 (of 2): comprising a journey from Whydah through the Kingdom of Dahomey to Adofoodia in the interiorDuncan, John
History
Travels in Western Africa in 1845 & 1846, Volume 1 (of 2): comprising a journey from Whydah through the Kingdom of Dahomey to Adofoodia in the interior
Duncan, John
Africa, West -- Description and travel; Benin -- Description and travel
At length I became impatient to see this wonderful dwarf, or child of
other days, but was still desired to wait a little longer. However, as
we were anxious to proceed on our journey, we set off. Fortunately, our
road onwards passed close to the residence of this wonderful child,
so that we halted, in the hope of having a peep at him. Being again
delayed, I lost all patience, and resolved to enter his dwelling. My
African friends and the multitude assembled from all parts of the town,
warned me of the destruction that would certainly overtake me, if I
ventured to go in without leave. But I showed them my doubled barrelled
gun as my fetish, and forced my way through the crowd. On entering
through a very narrow door or gateway, into a circle of about twenty
yards diameter, fenced round by a close paling, and covered outside
with long grass, about nine feet high, (so that nothing within could
be seen,) the first and only thing I saw was an old woman, whom, but
for her size and sex, I should have taken for the mysterious being,
resident there from the time of the Creation. She certainly was the
most disgusting and loathsome being I ever beheld. She had no covering
on her person (like all the other natives of this place), with the
exception of a small piece of dirty cloth round her loins. Her skin
was deeply wrinkled and extremely dirty, with scarcely any flesh on
her bones. Her breasts hung half way down her body, and she had all
the appearance of extreme old age. This ancient woman was the supposed
nurse of the everlasting child. On my entering the yard, this old
fetish-woman (for such was her high style and title) stepped before me,
making the most hideous gestures ever witnessed, and endeavouring to
drive me out, that I might be prevented from entering into the god’s
house; but in spite of all her movements I pushed her aside, and forced
my way into the house. Its outward appearance was that of a cone, or
extinguisher, standing in the centre of the enclosure. It was formed
by long poles placed triangularly, and thatched with long grass. Inside
of it I found a clay bench, in the form of a chair. Its tenant was
absent, and the old woman pretended that she had, by her magic, caused
him to disappear.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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