Home1815 Edition

WHIDAH

Volume 20 · 576 words · 1815 Edition

a kingdom of Africa, on the coast of Guinea, and to the west of the Gold Coast; extending about 10 miles along the sea. It is a populous country, well furnished with large villages; and there are so many small ones, that they are not above a musket-shot from each other.—The houses are small, round at the top, and encompassed with mud walls or hedges, together with a great number of all sorts of beautiful and lofty trees, which afford the most beautiful prospect in the world, insomuch that those that have been here represent it as a perfect paradise. The fields are always green, and they cultivate beans, potatoes, and fruits; nor will the negroes here let a foot of ground remain uncultivated. They sow again the very next day after they have reaped. The inhabitants are greatly civilized, very respectful to each other, especially to their superiors, and very industrious. The women brew the beer, dress the victuals, and sell all sorts of commodities at the market. Those that are rich employ their wives and slaves in tilling the land, and they carry on a considerable trade with the product, as well as in slaves; for some of them are able to deliver 1000 of the latter every month. The chief men have generally 40 or 50 wives, the principal captains 300 or 400, and the king 4000 or 5000. They are extremely jealous, and, on the least suspicion, will sell them to the Europeans for slaves. If any one happen to touch one of the king's wives accidentally, he is doomed to perpetual slavery. It is no wonder then that the women are not fond of being the king's wives; and some of them will prefer a speedy death to such a miserable life. They have no distinction of hours, days, weeks, months, or years. The rite of circumcision is used here; but they are not able to tell why they use it, nor whence it is derived. They are such great gamesters, that they will stake all they have at play, not excepting their wives and children. They have a vast number of idols; and they deify the most contemptible animal that they see first in a morning, and even stocks and stones. Their principal regard is for snakes, very high trees, and the sea. An English factor, just arrived, found a snake in the house belonging to the factory, and killed it without the least scruple; which so incensed the negroes, that they were for revenging the death of the snake, not only upon him that killed it, but upon the whole factory; but by means of presents, and the interposition of the people of the other factories, the affair was made up, and the snake honourably interred. However, to prevent such accidents, they gave them warning not to do the like for the future. They have oxen, cows, goats, sheep, hogs, turkeys, ducks, and hens; which last are extremely plentiful. There are many elephants, buffaloes, tigers, several kinds of deer, and a sort of hares. The fruits are citrons, lemons, oranges, bananas, tamarinds, &c. and they have vast numbers of palm-trees, from which they obtain wine. Whidah was conquered by the king of Dahomy. Their trade consists of slaves, elephants' teeth, wax, and honey. The English factory is 200 miles east of Cape Coast Castle, within land. Bows, arrows, beautiful aiguiays, and clubs, are the principal weapons of the nation.