to the King, consequently many are very glad to leave their country, preferring a foreign bondage where less severity is exercised. The roads, with the exception of that leading to the beach, are much better than in most of the settlements along the coast, and the houses are much larger and of better construction, and well thatched. The system of government here is also much superior to that of any other part of the coast, although very far behind Europe. But, as I have before stated, the people are so depraved in every respect, that it is necessary the law should be very rigid to govern them. Perhaps, however, this arbitrary system of government may have, in a great measure, been the cause of the total absence of principle or morals so observable amongst the natives. Besides the punishment of death, imprisonment for life and for limited periods is inflicted here. The prisoners are detained always in irons, and in the Avoga, or caboceer’s house. His headman, or chief constable, goes round the market daily, and collects the duties from each individual exposing goods for sale. A portion is exacted from every stall, whatever the goods may be, for the support of the prisoners. Doubtless little attention is in this case paid to justice. On the Avoga’s premises is also a store for goods collected as customs, such as rum and tobacco; which are carried up to Dahomey whenever the King thinks proper to make the order. Paganism is the only worship existing amongst this people. They worship images, which in this, as in other places, are called fetishes, but here they are more disgusting than in any other part of Africa I have yet visited. The form is meant to represent a human figure, as nearly as the clumsy, stupid artist can make it. It is formed of clay, as large as life, and is placed in all the most public parts of the town. The lower parts of the body of the image are out of proportion large, and are exposed in the most disgusting manner. At certain times a table is laid for him, from which of course everything is taken away by the priest, or fetish-man. They seem quite delighted when convinced that the fetish has enjoyed his meal. Sometimes it is left untouched, which is a sure sign of his dissatisfaction with the quantity, consequently an augmentation must be made in order to appease him. It is even worse than sacrilege in England to meddle with or deny the powers vested in their fetish; and if a white man, even by mistake, is guilty of contempt towards fetish, he is by the priest doomed to instant death, through the power of the said fetish. Undoubtedly the fetish-man would willingly lend his master a hand, but if nothing should happen to the offender, the fetish-man makes the very plausible excuse, that had the offender been a black man, he would instantly have died.