A Grammar of the Yoruba Language

nected with the relationship still held with each other by the three principal chieftains in the kingdom of Yoruba; namely, the chief of the Ketu tribe, called Alaketu, said to be the eldest; the chief of the Egba tribe, called Alake, said to be the next; and the king of Yoruba, the youngest, but to whom the others used to pay tribute in former days.

Ifè is still regarded as the origin of the Yoruba nation, as well as the spot from which all other nations derived their existence. The priests, who are very superstitious and much celebrated for their superior arts of divination, impose upon the nations many fabulous stories connected with Ifè, the land of their ancestor. Ifè is the pantheon of Yoruba: all kinds of idols are to be had there, and celebrated gods are frequently purchased there by the people of other tribes. So much has superstition taken hold on the minds of the people, especially the old, that, during our residence at Abbeokuta, several such gods have been purchased and brought in from Ifè, one of which (Odudua) is now situated in the front of the Council-house at Ake, and sacrifices of beasts and fowls are made to it every five days, in order to obtain children, wealth, and peace.

They affirm that not only all the nations of the world took their beginning in Ifè, but that the sun, moon, and stars also commenced there: the source from which the salt water sprung out, as well as the Lagoon, the largest river known to them, which runs parallel with the sea, from Whydah through Porto Novo, Badagry and Lagos, in the Bight of Benin, is also pretended to be shown, but only to brother priests from other tribes, or to ignorant and superstitious people, and not to any one who has come from the white man's country.

After the repulse of the Dahomian army in their attack upon Abbeokuta last year (1851), some of the prisoners were made presents to Ọni, the chief of Ifè, to