The trade of Dahomey is chiefly in palm-oil. Ivory is seldom brought to the coast, except when smuggled, owing to the heavy duty imposed upon it. The manufactures are limited, cloth being the only article; but they excel in that article. The kingdom of Dahomey is chiefly level; the soil rich red loam; and, except in the immediate vicinity of the capital, tolerably well watered. Gold is as abundant there as in the Ashantee country, but, owing to the slave-trade, it is seldom inquired after. The kingdom of Dahomey originally extended no farther in a northern direction than the river Zoa, or Lagos, between the seventh and eighth degrees of north latitude. In marching in a north-easterly direction from Abomey, the first of the Kong Mountains is situated in latitude 8° 20ʹ north, and extends in the same direction as far as 9° 30ʹ, although mountains of less magnitude are met with of the table form, at intervals, as far as 13° 6ʹ north. The Mahee people are lighter in colour than the Dahomans, and are very active and hardy, lively in their disposition, but said to be very revengeful; although, as I was under the patronage of the King, I did not observe any thing in their characters which manifested this. The females are considerably smaller than those of Dahomey, and may be called rather good-looking, and, like the Dahomans, are very chaste; though, as in the former country, polygamy is tolerated to any extent. They are all Pagans here, as well as in Dahomey. Though many Mohamedans are to be found in the army of the latter, they are never interfered with in their religious opinions. Formerly the government of the kingdom of Dahomey was despotic, still the country has a much more civilized appearance than the petty states under republican governments, which are generally involved in disputes and wars. The Mahees appear to be a distinct people, independently of the difference of colour. The general formation of their head differs considerably from others. It is generally elongated from the ear backwards, and the philoprogenitive organ is very prominent. The frontal bone is seldom divided, and in many instances the upper part of the skull, as I have previously stated, is without any division whatever; but this is also the case in the Dahomans. The chin of the Mahees is generally shorter than that of the Dahomans, or people near the coast; their lips are not so thick; their teeth are very good, and they take great pains in cleaning them, which is generally the case on the whole of the west coast, where it is a universal custom, when not otherwise employed, to brush the teeth with the end of what they term a chew-stick, generally a piece of the branch of the gwaba, about the length and thickness of a black-lead pencil. They consider that chewing this kind of wood prevents thirst. Probably, from the acid which it contains, it is superior to any other sort of tooth-brush.