Permit me with the greatest deference and respect to lay at your feet the following genuine narrative; the chief design of which is to excite in your august assemblies a sense of compassion for the miseries which the Slave Trade has entailed on my unfortunate countrymen. By the horrors of that trade was I first torn away from all tender connections that were naturally dear to my heart...I am sensible I ought to entreat your pardon for addressing to you a work so wholly devoid of literary merit; but, as the production of an unlettered African, who is actuated by the hope of becoming an instrument towards the relief of his suffering countrymen, I trust that such a man, pleading in such a cause will be acquitted of boldness and presumption."I had never heard of white men or europeans nor of the sea"
Chapter 1
That part of Africa, known by the name of Guinea, to which the trade for slaves is carried on, extends along the coast above 3400 miles, from Senegal to Angola, and includes a variety of kingdoms. Of these the most considerable is the kingdom of Benin, both as to extent and wealth, the richness and cultivation of the soil, the power of its king, and the number and warlike disposition of the inhabitants. It is situated nearly under the line, and extends along the coast about 170 miles, but runs back into the interior part of Africa to a distance hitherto, I believe, unexplored by any traveller, and seems only terminated at length by the empire of Abyssinia, nearly 1500 miles from its beginning. This kingdom is divided into many provinces and districts, in one of the most remote and fertile of which, i was born, in the year 1745, situated in a charming fruitful vale, named Essaka. The distance of this province from the capital of Benin must be very considerable for I had never heard of white men or Europeans, nor of the sea; and our subjection to the King of Benin was little more than nominal, for every transaction of government, as far as my slender observation extended, was conducted by the chief or elders of the place. The manners and government of a people who have little commerce with other countries are generally very simple, and the history Of what passes in one family or village may serve as a specimen of the whole nation. My father was one of those elders or chiefs I have spoken of, and was styled Embrenche, a term, as I remember, importing the highest distinction, and signifying in our language a mark of grandeur. This mark is conferred on the person entitled to i, by cutting the skin across the top of the forehead, drawing it down to the eye brows; and while it is in this situation applying a warm hand, rubbing it until it shrinks up into a thickweal across the lower part of the forehead. Most of the judges and senators were thus marked; my father had long borne it; I had seen it conferred on one of my bothers, and I also was destined to receive it by my parents. Those Embrenche, or chief men, decided disputes and punished crimes, for which purpose they always assembled together. The proceedings were generally short, and in most cases the law of retaliation prevailed. I remember a man was brought before my father and the other judges, for kidnapping a boy; and, although he was the son of a chief or senator, he was condemned to make recompense by a man or woman slave. Adultery, however was sometimes punished with slavery or death, a punishment which I believe is inflicted on it throughout most of the nations of Africa, so sacred among them is the honour fo the marriage bed, and so jealous are they of the fidelity of their wives. Of this I recollect an instance - a woman was convicted before the judges of adultery, and was delivered over, as the custom was, to her husband, to be punished. Accordingly he determined to put her t death; but it being found, just before her execution, that she had an infant at her breast, and no woman being prevailed on to perform the part of a nurse, she was spared on account of the child. The men however, do not preserve the same constancy to their wives which they expect from them; for they indulge in a plurality, though seldom in more than two. Their mode of marriage is thus - both parties are usually betrothed when young by their parents (though I've known the males to betroth them selves).
We are almost a nation of dancers, musicians and poets. Thus every great event, such a triumphant return from battle or other cause of public rejoicing, is celebrated in public dances, which are accompanied with songs and music suited to the occasion. The assembly is separated into four divisions, which dance either apart or in succession, and each with a character peculiar to itself. The first division contains the married men, who in their dances usually exhibit feats of arms and the representation of battle. To these succeed the married men, who dance in the second division. The young men occupy the third, and the maidens the fourth. Each represents some interesting scene of real life such as a great achievement, domestic employment, a pathetic story, or some rural sport and as the subject is generally founded on some recent event, it is therefore ever new. This gives our dances a spirit and variety I have scarcely seen else where.
(*When I was in smyrna I have frequently seen the Greeks dance after this manner)We have many musical instruments, particularly drums of different kinds, a piece of music which resembles a guitar, and another much like a stikado. These last are chiefly used by betrothed virgins, who play on them on all grand festivals.
As our manners are simple, our luxuries are few. The dress of both sexes is nearly the same. It generally consists of a long piece of calico or muslin wrapped loosely around the body, somewhat in the form of a highland plaid. This is usually dyed blue, which is our favourite colour. It is extracted from a berry, and is brighter and richer than any I have seen in Europe. Besides this, our women of distinction wear golden ornaments, which they dispose with some profusion on their arms and legs. When our women are not employed with the men in the tillage, their usual occupation is spinning and weaving cotton, which they afterwards dye, and make into garments.
They also manufacture earthen vessels, of which we have many kinds. Among the rest, tobacco pipes made after the same fashion, and used in the same manner, as those in Turkey.**The bowl is earthen, curiously figured, to which a long reed is
fixed as a tube. This tube is sometimes so long as to be borne
by one, and frequently out of grandeur, two boys.
Our manner of living is entirely plain; for as yet the natives are unacquainted with these refinements in cookery which debauch the taste; bullocks, goats, and poultry supply the greatest part of their food. (These constitute likewise the principal wealth of the country, and the chief articles of its commerce.) The flesh is usually stewed in a pan; to make it savoury we sometime use pepper, and other spices, and we have salt made of wood ashes. Our vegetables are mostly plantains, eadas, yams, beans, and indian corn. The head of the family usually eats alone; his wives and slaves have also their separate tables. Before we taste the food, we always wash our hands; indeed, our cleanliness on all occasions is extreme, but on this it is an indispensable ceremony. after washing, libation is made, by pouring out a small portion of the drink on the floor, and tossing a small quantity of the food in a certain place, for the spirits of departed relations, which the natives suppose to preside over their conduct and guard them from evil. They are totally unacquainted with strong or spirituous liquors; and their principal beverage is palm wine. This is got from a tree of that name, by tapping it at the top and fastening a large gourd to it; and sometimes one tree will three or four gallons in a night. When just drawn it is of a most delicious sweetness; but in a few days it acquires a tartish and more spirituous flavour though I never saw anyone intoxicated by it. The same tree also produces nuts and oil.
Our principal luxury is in perfumes: one sort of these is an odoriferous wood of delicious fragrance, the other a kind of earth, a small portion of which thrown into the fire diffuses a most powerful odor.**When I was in Smyrna I saw the same kind of earth and brought some with me to England; it resembles musk in strength, but is more delicious in scent, and is not unlike the smell of a rose.
We beat this wood into powder, and mix it with palm oil, with which both men and women perfume themselves.
In our buildings we study convenience rather than ornamentation. Each master of a family has a large square piece of ground, surrounded with a moat or fence, or enclosed with a wall made of red earth tempered, which, when dry, is as hard as brick. Within this, are houses to accommodate his family and slaves, which, if numerous, frequently present the appearance of a village. In the middle, stands the principal building, appropriated to the sole use of the master and consisting of two apartments; in one of which he sits in the day with his family, the other is left apart for the reception of his friends. He has besides these a distinct apartment in which he sleeps, together with his male children. On each side are the apartments of his wives, who have also their separate day and night houses. The habitations of the slaves and their families are distributed throughout the rest of the enclosure.
These houses never exceed one story in height; they are always built of wood, or stakes driven into the ground, crossed with wattles and neatly plastered within and without. The roof is thatched with reed. Our day houses are always opened at the sides but those in which we sleep are always voce red, and plastered in the inside with a composition mixed with cow dung, to keep off the different insects which annoy us during the night. The walls and floors also of these are generally covered with mats. Our beds consist of platforms raised three or four feet from the ground on which are laid skins and different parts of a spongy tree called plantain. Our covering is calico or muslin, the same as our dress.We compute the year, from the day on which the sun crosses the line, and on its setting that evening, there is a general shout the land; at least I can speak from my own knowledge throughout our vicinity. The people at the time make a great noise with rattles, not unlike the basket rattles used by children here, though much larger, and hold up their hand to the heaven for a blessing.
We practised circumcision like the Jews, and made offerings and feasts on that occasion, in the same manner as they did. Like them also, our children were named from some event, some circumstance, or fancied foreboding, at the time of their birth.
I have before remarked that the natives of this part of Africa are extremely cleanly. This necessary habit of decency was with us a part of religion, and there we had many purifications and washings; indeed almost as many, and used on the same occasions, if my recollection does not fail me as the Jews. Those that touched the dead at any time were obliged to wash and purify themselves before they could enter a dwelling house. Every woman, too, at certain times was forbidden to to come into a dwelling house, or touch any person, or anything we eat. I was so fond of my mother I could not keep from her, or avoid touching her at some of those periods, in consequence of which I was obliged to be kept out with her, in a little house kept for that purpose, till offering was made and then we were purified.
to the lesser man
mediocrity ruled
so the man died
stupidity was entrenched and we lost our way
To our shame
we shelved our beautiful name
True it was that in the warmth of homes embrace
surrounded by kith and kin,
lofty words and their motions
swayed our hearts and intoxicated our realities
But always was it too cold outside
and...
In Lagos and her sisters - you would be a fool
and your ideals your identifying cap....
So to cover our shame
we succumbed (with the hypocrites)
and mediocrity became our Fathers name...
But scattered though scant
especially at night - unimportant nights
could be found in the back alleys
of our forgotten slums...
stripped of their dignity
reviled for their honesty
they mused without mirth
at the country of their birth
"We love our Contree we no go lie"
but old country was deep in sloth and corruption..
Then one October afternoon
The gnomes had a full bright moon (I saw it!)
twas before evening - well before seven
when Wole Soyinka was shot into heaven
Thank you Kongi
+++
Don Kenobi
October 1986
Ile-Ife