Page:Africa by Élisée Reclus, Volume 3.djvu/327

 POETO-NOYO. 269 Both places are connected by a fine higliway, 100 feet broad and 7 miles long, lined all tbe way with magnificent trees. In the neighbouring scrub reigns a phantom king, the double of the true sovereign, with his palace, his courtiers, his amazons, and his budget. In his name are levied the taxes, and to him are attri- buted all grievances, while the actual king takes the credit and receives the public thanks for all beneficent deeds. North of Dahomey proper, in the province of Mahi and the territory of the Dassa people, follow the important market of Zeng-Numi ; the picturesque town of Zoglogho ; Logozabi, situated in a delightful region of hills, woods, and streams crossed by suspension bridges; Savalu, former capital of the Mahi country; Jallahu, surrounded by scattered granite blocks, compared by Duncan to Stone- henge. These Dahomey highlands, w^hich have been visited only by two travellers, almost captives in the hands of their escort, differ from the low-lying plains in their climate, natural history, and inhabitants. Porto-Novo. East of the Portuguese "protectorate" of Dahomey, the French possess a second enclave on the coast, the petty native state of Porto-Novo^ which was constituted at the beginning of the eighteenth century by the foundation of the town of Honi- honu. By its founder, a son of the King of AUada, or Ardra, it was also called Little Ardra, but is known to the present inhabitants by the name of Ajashey. The territory of Porto-Novo, with a coastline of about 24 miles, is estimated at 760 square miles, and the population at one hundred and fifty thousand souls. The town having been bombarded by the English in 1861, the king placed himself under the protectorate of France in 1863, which first occupied, then abandoned, and definitely re-occupied the place in 1882, attaching it to the government of Senegal. Porto-Novo, which is exceeded in population only by Lagos on this coast, forms a group of villages on the north side of the lagoon which communicates with the Badagry and Lagos rivers. The royal palace, which is approached by a fetish gate embellished with rude sculptures of tutelar deities, was surrounded so recently as 1875 by decapitated bodies and festoons of human skulls. A considerable trade is carried on with the northern towns of Aggera and Sahetey, and with the interior as far as the banks of the Niger. In Porto-Novo the unique administrative arrangement consists of two sovereigns, reigning by day and night alternately. Each has the right of inflicting the penalty of death on his colleague, if found abroad when out of office. Kotonu or Apjn, the seaport of Porto-Novo, lies to the south-west, on the channel where converge the navigable arteries of Lake Nokhwe. This place, which formerly belonged to Dahomey, and was consequently claimed by the Portuguese, was finally ceded to France in 1885, while the two neighbouring towns of Godomey and Agbomey-Kalavi were left to Portugal. The villages of Afatonu and AhivansoU are built on piles in the middle of the lake, like the old lacustrine dwellings of Switzerland.