Previous to our arrival at the mountain-pass which divides the crescent, through which we marched in crossing this range of mountains, we passed many singularly formed spiral rocks, upon some of which were resting immense blocks of the same material, placed horizontally. Upon several of these apparently dangerous precipices, men were perched, and even dogs with them, each man armed with bow and arrow, watching us as we passed. At the moment I was quite unaware of their motive for watching us so narrowly, and concluded that it was merely the curiosity of seeing us as we passed, but we had not gone more than a very short distance before I found out their motive. These selfish people, besides shunning all intercourse with other tribes, will not allow even a pebble, or any thing dead or alive, not _even a serpent_, to be carried into another country. Not being made acquainted with this circumstance, (though I had been cautioned without any reason being assigned by my caboceer,) I asked one of my private servants to pick up a piece of stone of an unusual appearance. As soon as this was observed by them, a Dassa bowman ran up nearly alongside of me, raising several hideous yells, accompanied with menacing gestures. I did not know their language, and the Dahomans only understood what was meant by the bowman’s motions directing me to give up the stone. His yell brought in less than five minutes many hundreds of men and boys, all armed with bows and arrows, many of whom had their arrows already resting on the string. My caboceer, who had now placed himself alongside of my horse, reminded me of the caution he had given me. The Dassa people were still advancing alongside of us, continuing their hideous yells. Observing this, I asked the meaning of their following us, and was told that they were singing the stranger’s praise, but their gestures and menacing attitudes convinced me that it was not so, though to drown the noise, my own people began a song in praise of the “king’s stranger,” as they called me. At last one of the Dahomans admitted, that, although he was unacquainted with their language, he was certain the Dassa people were cursing us. Upon this I remonstrated with the caboceer upon his suffering them to follow us in such a menacing manner, and begged him to order the additional guard to load their pieces, and give our pursuers a volley. He assured me that their pieces had been loaded previous to our leaving Baffo, and that each man had three bullets in his musket. He declared that he should like to give them a volley, which he knew would soon disperse them, but that the King had given him orders not on any account to commence hostilities, except in the event of an attack, and then to retaliate immediately with all his force.