It is worthy of remark, that unlike any other uncivilized people I have seen, during my stay at Abomey I was never asked by any individual for an article of even the most trifling value, nor ever lost anything, except what was stolen by my people from the coast. The Dahoman laws are certainly severe, but they have the desired effect. In the collection of skulls, I found a number of them ornamented with brass, and rivetted together with iron. These were the heads of rival kings, who were killed by the King’s women, or wives. Amongst these was the richly ornamented skull of the King of Nahpoo, in the Annagoo country; his name was Adaffo. His town was taken, and he himself made prisoner, by the female regiments, commanded by the female commander, Apadomey. Many of the skulls still retained the hair. It appears that this part of the human body has always been a favourite ornament on the palace-walls of Abomey, and even in the walls, entrance of gateways, and doorways; though the present King has not placed them on the walls of the new palace called Coomassie. A guard is mounted every morning at each of the palaces, and there is a resident governor. After taking several drawings of the skulls of several kings killed in war, his Majesty invited me to be present at the trial of a prisoner who had been brought from a town in the Mahee country, where he had already been tried, upon an accusation of adultery with one of the caboceers’ wives, and the sentence of death had been passed upon him. The man, however, being conscious of his innocence, appealed to the Court of Abomey, where all the witnesses were again examined and cross-questioned by the King himself. It was now distinctly proved that the whole was a false accusation, and the poor fellow was immediately liberated; but the caboceer, who had been his accuser, and fourteen of his false witnesses, were seized and imprisoned for trial on a future day, when doubtless the whole of them would suffer death. The King, with great satisfaction, pointed out to me the beneficial effects of this new law which he had made, observing that formerly, in the Mahee country, when a caboceer felt animosity against a person in his power, he could at any time get up an accusation against him, and also ensure such evidence as would suit his purpose; but that now the accused had the power of appealing to the court of Abomey, which had been the means of effectually checking such practices, as he invariably put the accusers to death when he found the accused to be innocent. As I felt very unwell and feverish, I begged the King to allow me to return to my quarters, which he readily acceded to, and with his usual kindness inquired if he could do any thing for me. He walked with me nearly to my dwelling, during which a continual fire of musketry was kept up until I entered my own gates.