The following is taken from the 1911 edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica, nice and contemporary. Of course, there is more history to this but it really does not have anything to do with the French Commanders assignment. This could be considered his briefing. It is also known that the Dahomey are fetish worshippers and practice cannibalism. Well, they didn’t eat Richard Burton, but then he might have been too sick for them. See the Bibliography section for other period works.

DAHOMEY (Fr. Dahomé), a country of West Africa, formerly an independent kingdom, now a French colony. Dahomey is bounded S. by the Gulf of Guinea, E. by Nigeria (British), N. and N.W. by the French possessions on the middle Niger, and W. by the German colony of Togoland. The French colony extends far north of the limits of the ancient kingdom of the same name. With a coastline of only 75 miles- (1° 38’ E. to 2° 46’ 55” E.), the area of the colony is about 40,000 sq. m., and the population over 1,000,000. As far as 9 °N. the width of the colony is no greater than the coastline. From this point, the colony broadens out both eastward and westward, attaining a maximum width of 200 miles. It includes the western part of Bornu, and its greatest length N. to S. is 430 m.

Physical Features

The littoral, part of the old Slave Coast, is very low, sandy and obstructed by a bar. Behind the seashore is a line of lagoons, where small steamers can ply; east to west they are those of Porto Novo (or Lake Nokue), Whydah and Grand Popo. The Weme (300 m. long), known in its upper course as the Ofe, the most important river running south, drains the colony from the Bariba country to Porto Novo, entering the lagoon so named. The Zu is a western affluent of the Weme. Farther west is the Kuffu, which, before entering the Whydah lagoon, broadens out into a lake or lagoon called Ahémé, 20 m. long by 5 m. broad. The Makru and Kergigoto, each of which has various affluents, flow northeast to the Niger, which in the part of its course forming the northeast frontier of the colony is only navigable for small vessels and that with great difficulty. For some 50 m. inland the country is flat, and, after the first mile or two of sandy waste is passed, covered with dense vegetation.

At this distance (50 m.) from the coast is a great swamp known as the Lama Marsh. It extends east to west some 25 m. and north to south 6 to 9 m. North of the swamp the land rises by regular stages to about 1650 ft., the high plateau falling again to the basin of the Niger. In the northwest a range of hills known as the Atacora forms a watershed between the basins of the Weme, the Niger and the Volta. A large part of the interior consists of undulating ‘country, rather barren, with occasional patches of forest. The forests contain the baobab, the coconut palm and the oil palm. The fauna resembles that of other parts of the West Coast, but the larger wild animals, such as the elephant and hippopotamus, are rare. The lion is found in the regions bordering the Niger. Some kinds of antelopes are common; the buffalo has disappeared.

Climate

The climate of the coast regions is very hot and moist. Four seasons are well marked: the harmattan or long dry season, from the 1st December to the 15th March; the season of the great rains, from the 15th March to the 15th July; the short dry season, from the I5tb July to the 15th September; and the “little rains,” from the 15th September to the 1st December. Near the sea the average temperature is about 8o° F. The harmattan prevails for several days in succession, and alternates with winds from the south and southwest. During its continuance the thermometer falls about 10°, there is not the slightest moisture in the atmosphere, vegetation dries up or droops, the skin parches and peels, and all woodwork is liable to warp and crack with a loud report. Tornadoes occur occasionally. During nine months of the year the climate is tempered by a sea breeze, which is felt as far inland as Abomey (60 m.). It generally begins in the morning, and in the summer it often increases to a stiff gale at sundown. In the interior there are but two seasons: the dry season (November to May) and the rainy season (June to October). The rains are more scant and diminish considerably in the northern regions.

Chief Towns

The chief port and the seat of government is Kotonu, which was originally a small village which served as the seaport of Porto Novo and was burnt to the ground in 1890. Situated on the beach between the sea and the lagoon of Porto Novo, the soil consists of heavy sand. Good hard roads have been made. Owing to an almost continuous, cool, westerly sea breeze, Kotonu is, in comparison with the other coast towns, decidedly healthy for white men. Porto Novo (pop. about 50,000), the former French headquarters and chief business centre, is on the northern side of the lagoon of the same name and 20 m. northeast of Kotonu by water. It contains numerous churches and mosques, public buildings and merchants’ residences. Whydah, 23 m. west of Kotonu, is built on the north bank of the coast lagoon about 2 m. from the sea. There is no harbour at the beach, and landing is effected in boats made expressly to pass through the surf, here particularly heavy.

Whydah, during the period of the slave-trade, was divided into five quarters: the English, French, Portuguese, Brazilian and native. The three first quarters once had formidable forts, of which the French fort alone survives. In consequence of the thousands of orange and citron trees which adorn it, Whydah is called “ the garden of Dahomey.” West of Whydah, on the coast and near, the frontier of Togoland, is the trading town of Grand Popo. Inland in Dahomey proper are Abomey, the ancient capital, Allada, Kana (formerly the country residence and burial-place of the kings of Dahomey) and Dogba. In, the hinterland are Carnotville (a town of French creation), Nikki and Paraku, Borgu towns, and Garu, on .the right bank of the Niger near the British frontier, the terminus of the railway from the coast.

Agriculture and Trade

The agriculture, trade and commerce of Dahomey proper are essentially different from that of the hinterland. The soil of Dahomey proper is naturally fertile and is capable of being highly cultivated. The principal product is palm-oil, which is made in large quantities throughout the country. The district of Toffo is particularly noted for its oil palm orchards. Palm-wine is also made, but the manufacture is discouraged as the process destroys the tree. Next to palm oil the principal vegetable products are maize, guinea-corn, cassava, yams, sweet potatoes, plantains, coconuts, oranges, limes and the African apple, which grows almost wild. The country also produces ground nuts, kola-nuts, pineapples, guavas, spices of all kinds, ginger, okros (Hibiscus), sugar-cane, onions, tomatoes and papaws. Plantations of rubber trees and vines have been made. Cattle, sheep, goats and fowls are scarce. There is a large fishing industry in the lagoons. Round the villages, and here and there in the forest, clearings are met with, cultivated in places, but agriculture is in a backward condition. In the, grassy uplands of the interior cattle and horses thrive.

Dahomey War Part 1

Uniforms: French
War Background
History
Amazonian Army

Dahomey War Part 2

Housing, Uniforms, and Weapons of the King
Campaigns and Dahomey Warfare
French OB for 1892 Dahomey War and Battles
Available Figures