A mission to Gelele, King of Dahome, Vol. 1 (of 2)

About this book

"A mission to Gelele, King of Dahome, Vol. 1 (of 2)" by Sir Richard Francis Burton is a travel narrative and ethnographic-historical account written in the mid-19th century. The work chronicles a British diplomatic mission to Dahomey, portraying the king, his female regiments, royal ceremonies, human sacrifices, and the coastal slave trade through first-hand observation. It blends statecraft with vivid reportage across West African locales, including Fernando Po, Lagos, Whydah, and the Dahoman interior.

The opening of the book frames Burton’s mission through Isabel Burton’s memorial preface and official Foreign Office letters directing him to promote lawful trade, curb the slave export, and discourage human sacrifices, while carrying specific royal presents. Before setting out inland, Burton sketches Fernando Po’s climate and the creation of a highland sanitarium at Santa Cecilia, then offers lively ethnographic notes on the Bubé people and his quiet life at Buena Vista. He departs aboard a naval steamer, gives a terse, unhealthy portrait of Lagos, and reaches Whydah, where he undergoes elaborate landings, toasts, and processions across the lagoon, complete with bands, salutes, and strenuous war dances. Formal receptions follow with local Dahoman officials—the Ka-wo, Ainadu, and others—who deliver the king’s messages and gifts, after which Burton begins a brief tour of Whydah’s layout, population, and history, noting its ruined state, origins of its name, and the legacy of Dahomean conquest and European forts.