Conversation with the King of Dahomey continued--Visit Coomassie, another Palace of the King--Great Number of Human Skulls--Skulls of Kings taken in Battle--Death-drums--Peculiarity of Skulls--Craniums of the Fellattahs--Skulls of Rival Kings--Criminal Case heard by the King, and his Award--Death of my Servant Maurice--Regret of the King--Christian Burial of my Servant--The King’s Kindness to me--My increasing Illness and Depression of Spirits--Method of Procuring Food in the Bush by the Dahoman Soldiers--My Alarm at the Dangerous State of my Wound--Make Preparations to amputate my Limb--My Recovery--My Last Conversation with the King--The King’s Presents to the Queen of England--Present from him to her Majesty of a Native Girl--Escorted out of Abomey, and Departure for Whydah--Absurd Custom--Canamina--Ahgrimah--My Pigeons from the Kong Mountains--Non-Arrival of some of my Carriers--Punishment awarded them for their Roguery on their Arrival 273 CHAPTER XIII. Akpway--Superstition of the Natives--Singular proceeding of my Bullock-Drivers--Arrival at Whydah--Kind Reception by Don Francisco de Suza--Kindness of all the Merchants--Parting Interview with M. de Suza--Sail for Cape Coast--Terror of the Mahee Girl (presented to the Queen) at the Roughness of the Sea--Arrival at Cape Coast--Kindness of Mr. Hutton--Dr. Lilley--Recover from my Fever--Kindness of the Wesleyan Missionaries--General Character of Africans--Hints with regard to Educating them--Observations on the Manners and Customs of the Dahoman, Mahee, and Fellattah Countries--Enlightened Conduct of the King of Dahomey--The Dahomans--Trade of Dahomey--Paganism--The Mahees--The Kong Mountains--Sail for England 293 ILLUSTRATIONS TO THE SECOND VOLUME. MODE OF EXECUTION AT DAHOMEY _To face the Title._ THE KONG MOUNTAINS, IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD OF LOGAZOHY p. 219 Wood Cuts. STATE CHAIR OF THE KING OF DAHOMEY 272 THE KING’S STAFF 272 TRAVELS IN WESTERN AFRICA. CHAPTER I.