INTRODUCTORY.

of Dahomey then diplomatically sued for peace, which was granted. However, about September 1728, a new quarrel arose—this time in the interests of the King of Whydah—and a Yoruba army again invaded Dahomey. A sporadic war lasted until 1730, when peace was once more made. In 1738, another Yoruba army invaded Dahomey, defeated the king, and captured and burned Agbomi, Kana, and Zassa See “Ewe-speaking Peoples,” page 294.. From that time forward, the Yorubas raided Dahomey annually, ravaging the country and retiring again at the commencement of the rainy season. This state of affairs was brought to an end by a peace treaty in 1747, by which the King of Dahomey agreed to pay a heavy annual tribute to the King of Yoruba. After this, we hear no more of the Yorubas in Dalzel’s History, which only reaches 1791, except that in 1786 they intervened to prevent the Dahomeans from attacking Porto Novo. The tribute appears to have been paid up to the days of King Gezo of Dahomey (1818).

Governor Dalzel informs us, however, that when the “Eyeos” The Yorubas were called Eyeos or Oyos by old writers, after the name of their capital, Oyo. (Yorubas) were dissatisfied with a king, they sent a deputation to him with a gift of parrot’s eggs and a message stating that they considered he must be fatigued with the cares of government, and that it was time for him to rest and take a little sleep. Upon receiving this message, the king immediately retired to his apartments as if to sleep, and then gave directions to his women to strangle him,