AkanIgbo:


If they played a role at all then they played a big role in the destruction of the motherland. There is no minimizing of roles.

There is no "minimizing" of roles intended here. The only thing intended is to have at least some historical accuracy and to apportion the appropriate roles to the appropriate states. You grouped the Bini with Dahomey and the Aro Confederacy with regard to the slave trade, which is ridiculous (and I mean no disrespect to the Fon or the Aro by that statement, but the reality is that the slave trade was never as big a factor in Benin's economy as it was in those states). What's ironic is that many of the slaves the Benin kingdom traded during the brief periods it traded slaves wound up in southern Ghana and Sao Tome rather than outside of Africa (though the Bini did not know where the traded slaves would ultimately end up, of course). I agree with you that the transatlantic slave trade had a hugely negative effect on Africa's development and on the lives of black people worldwide, but what I don't get or agree with is why you think Benin played some "big role" in the destruction of Africa. I think this issue is an instance where the details actually matter.

Kanoro:
Thank you very much. Very useful information! I'd be curious to know if they utilized cast iron technology for firearms and to what extent. I'd also be curious to know why they didn't produce their own weapons in mass so that they didn't rely on imports.

I have never read anything about any of the African groups that made guns using cast iron to do so, though I would be happy to find an example to the contrary. The Ashanti manufactured some of their own guns, but their method did not use cast iron and they could buy better quality guns from Europeans so they kept relying on imports. Benin started manufacturing guns as well, but I have not read anything about Benin utilizing cast iron. I am also unsure as to whether the guns Benin made were the majority of the guns the kingdom had or whether more guns were imported than manufactured. I will look into that eventually and see if I can find an answer.

I also read that Samory Touré's kingdom attempted to manufacture their own guns as well, but once again I've never read anything about cast iron technology in connection with that, and I know that the guns his state used were mostly imports of European origin.

AkanIgbo:
And it wasn't just the people of Dahomey or the Bini people; it was the also the Aro-Confederacy, an Igbo people that sold out of Calabar and the Bights of Benin and Biafra.

Your post was interesting and you made some good points, but just one correction: the Bini were not huge players in the transatlantic slave trade and the transatlantic slave trade was of limited importance to the precolonial economy of the Bini. In fact in precolonial times, the Bini were not even engaged in the transatlantic slave trade for most of their history. I have seen people just assume that the Bini had some sort of major slave trading state without checking if this is true or not on multiple occasions, and unfortunately, the reason for the assumption (without doing research) pretty much every time is because of preexisting stereotypes about precolonial African history.

Kanoro:

Why do you think they resorted to melee infantry despite these capabilities? Also do you think that they adopted cast iron from Europeans or do you think it was an indigenous development? They certainly had an advanced iron industry and were certainly masters at casting other metals like copper, brass, and bronze. Iron requires a significantly higher melting point to cast though and I've seen or heard no evidence of it developing anywhere outside of Eurasia. But of course nobody ever wants to teach of the achievements of Africa.

This is an old thread, but I see that you're still around. If you want to know more about the use of infantry and methods of warfare in precolonial Africa, a useful book that I've mentioned on this forum before is John K. Thornton's Warfare in Atlantic Africa. It only deals with parts of Africa (not the whole continent) over a period of a few centuries, but is well-researched and quite informative about those societies and time periods that it does cover.

As for cast iron, this is what I came across from a quick search:

"Smelting iron by the method employed in precolonial Africa is not an easy process. Iron melts at the very high temperature of 1540°C but the resulting product is cast iron, that is too brittle to be worked by a blacksmith. In the Western world cast iron only became important a little over 500 years ago, when Europeans developed blast furnaces, although the Chinese had made and used it 2000 years earlier. In Africa and in the West it was wrought iron that was wanted, because it could be hammered and bent and drawn into many shapes. This was produced in a bloomery furnace, at temperatures of 1150 to 1200°C." - Graham Connah, Forgotten Africa: An Introduction to Its Archaeology, pp. 51

https://books.google.com/books?id=E78JtHvhaH0C&pg=PA51

If you read down to pages 52 and 53 the author describes iron smelting using bloomeries and mentions the possible production of cast iron and steel in Tanzania and also discusses the issue of whether iron working was indigenous or introduced from outside of Africa.

In the book The Archaeology of Africa: Food, Metals and Towns, there is also a mention of cast iron on p. 451:

"The third type of product is cast iron, a hard and brittle mass that is high in carbon (>4% C) and low in siliceous impurities and virtually unworkable by the smith with a traditional technology. The temperature required to produce cast iron ranges from 1400 to 1500°C and as a result usually yielded a vitreous slag run-off. As the product of a failed smelt, cast iron was usually discarded by the smelter. Recent work by David (David, Heimann, Killick & Wayman 1989), however, has demonstrated that traditional smelting may have intentionally produced cast iron, along with both wrought iron and steel, in a given smelting operation. More importantly, he shows that the smelter knew how to decarburize the iron appropriately to prepare the samples for smithing (David, Heimann, Killick & Wayman 1989, p. 198)."

https://books.google.com/books?id=TmUwjhQX-rcC&pg=PA451

The article by David, Heimann, Killick & Wayman that this book cites is "Between bloomery and blast furnace: Mafa iron-smelting technology in North Cameroon" (1989). I haven't read that article, but I have read the abstract of that article and it seems that at least in North Cameroon cast iron has been shown to have been produced by the Mafa people.

There might be more information about cast iron in precolonial Africa than just the stuff from Tanzania and North Cameroon, but this is just what I found most easily. It seems possible to me that the production of cast iron may not have been widespread because it may have been seen as useless to most groups and they may not have needed it for their purposes.

If these matches happen and the South Africans lose both of them badly, that might even make things worse.

Pretty much no point to this.

Bread and circuses. Probably won't solve anything.

Foot Soldiers and Cavalry, Bornu, Northeastern Nigeria, 1860

[img]http://hitchcock.itc.virginia.edu/SlaveTrade/collection/large/wag-1.JPG[/img]

Source
Hermann Wagner, Schilderung der Reisen . . .Eduard Vogel in Central-Afrika (Leipzig, 1860), p.16

Comments
Caption, "Panzerreiter und Bogenschütz aus Bornu" (rider in armor and bowman from Bornu). Shows a soldier carrying a bow, with a quiver of arrows on his back, conversing with horse- mounted soldier with lance and armor.




Market, Sokoto, Northwestern Nigeria,1860

[img]http://hitchcock.itc.virginia.edu/SlaveTrade/collection/large/wag-5.JPG[/img]

Source
Hermann Wagner, Schilderung der Reisen . . .Eduard Vogel in Central-Afrika (Leipzig, 1860), p. 281

Comments
The marketplace, showing traders, goods, livestock, etc.




Kano, North Central Nigeria, 1860

[img]http://hitchcock.itc.virginia.edu/SlaveTrade/collection/large/wag-4.JPG[/img]

Source
Hermann Wagner, Schilderung der Reisen . . .Eduard Vogel in Central-Afrika (Leipzig, 1860), p. 273

Comments
Panoramic view of the city and its architecture; camel train in the foreground.

Fulani Blacksmith, Sierra Leone, 1834

[img]http://hitchcock.itc.virginia.edu/SlaveTrade/collection/large/Rankin1.JPG[/img]

Source
F. Harrison Rankin, The white man's grave: a visit to Sierra Leone, in 1834 (London, 1836),Vol. 1, facing p. 128.

Comments
Titled, "Foulah Blacksmith," the author writes that in the Foulah [Fulani] quarter of Freetown, artisans can be seen employed in various trades. "Sitting upon the ground, the Foulah [blacksmith] holds his strange rude bellows between his legs, and contrives to heat his metal in a little heap of glowing charcoal." The bellows comprised of gourds covered with skin "are connected together by two hollow bamboos inserted into their sides and uniting at an angle." The construction of the bellows, how they are used and worked, and the appearance of the blacksmith are described; the blacksmith is also "the whitesmith, gunsmith, armourer, gold-worker, jeweler, and silversmith of the place," unlike the English blacksmith (pp. 128-130).

Clothing and Hair Styles, Senegal, 1850s

[img]http://hitchcock.itc.virginia.edu/SlaveTrade/collection/large/Raffenel3.JPG[/img]

Source
Anne Raffenel, Nouveau voyage dans le pays des negres, suivi d'études sur la colonie du Sénégal . . . (Paris, 1856), vol. 1, facing p. 72.

Comments
Captioned, "Negres du Bondou," shows three males and one woman with their clothing, hair styles, jewelry, etc. The woman on the left is identified as "Princesse Penda," the man to her right as "homme de Boulebane," next is "Ministre Tasapatto." On the right is a young boy whose hair is arranged in a fashionable style ('jeune garcon, coiffure tres a la mode').

Soldier with Weapons, Senegal, 1780s

[img]http://hitchcock.itc.virginia.edu/SlaveTrade/collection/large/VILE-36.JPG[/img]

Source
René Claude Geoffroy de Villeneuve, L'Afrique, ou histoire, moeurs, usages et coutumes des africains: le Sénégal (Paris, 1814), vol. 3, facing p. 36. (Copy in Special Collections, University of Virginia Library)

Comments
Caption, "Soldat Negre" (black soldier); holding lance/spear, with sword, pistol, wearing beads and amulets. Villeneuve lived in the Senegal region for about two years in the mid-to-late 1780s. The engravings in his book, he writes, were made from drawings that were mostly done on the spot during his African residence (vol. 1, pp. v-vi).




Mandingo Man Clothing Style, Senegal, 1780s

[img]http://hitchcock.itc.virginia.edu/SlaveTrade/collection/large/VILE-170.JPG[/img]

Source
René Claude Geoffroy de Villeneuve, L'Afrique, ou histoire, moeurs, usages et coutumes des africains: le Sénégal (Paris, 1814), vol. 3, facing p. 170. (Copy in Special Collections, University of Virginia Library)

Comments
Caption, "Negre Manding" (Mandingo Black), showing clothing style (including sandals), wearing amulets and beads. Villeneuve lived in the Senegal region for about two years in the mid-to-late 1780s. The engravings in his book, he writes, were made from drawings that were mostly done on the spot during his African residence (vol. 1, pp. v-vi).




Wolof King, Senegal, 1787

[img]http://hitchcock.itc.virginia.edu/SlaveTrade/collection/large/VILE_154.JPG[/img]

Source
René Claude Geoffroy de Villeneuve, L'Afrique, ou histoire, moeurs, usages et coutumes des africains: le Sénégal (Paris, 1814), vol. 3, facing p. 154. (Copy in Special Collections, University of Virginia Library)

Comments
Captioned “Bour-Salum, dans sa Case” (Bour [King] Salum [Saloum] in his House). Villeneuve visited King Sandéné of the Wolof kingdom/state of Salum/Saloum in 1787; he provides a detailed description of the visit, including the king’s demeanor and appearance, his clothing, jewelry, and surroundings. This engraving shows the king in his chamber, seated on a platform. The splendor of his dress, the author writes, was more elaborate than that of any other African sovereign. Sandéné wears a gold crown and elaborate tunic (both described in detail), has sandals on his feet; hanging from his neck by a silk cord is a large gold medallion, the shape and size of “a chicken’s egg,” The king is depicted smoking a long stem pipe (a reed attached to a pipe bowl). A scimitar with a gold hilt and richly ornamented shoulder strap is hanging from a wall; a saddle with silver trimmings is against another wall (pp. 149-155). Villeneuve lived in the Senegal region for about two years in the mid-to-late 1780s. The engravings in his book, he writes, were made from drawings that were mostly done on the spot during his African residence (vol. 1, pp. v-vi).

Playing the Balafon, Senegal, 1780s

[img]http://hitchcock.itc.virginia.edu/SlaveTrade/collection/large/VILE-211.JPG[/img]

Source
René Claude Geoffroy de Villeneuve, L'Afrique, ou histoire, moeurs, usages et coutumes des africains: le Sénégal (Paris, 1814), vol. 4, facing p. 211. (Copy in Special Collections, University of Virginia Library)

Comments
Caption, "Negre jouant au balafo" (Black playing the balafon); musician playing; circular house or granary in background. Villeneuve lived in the Senegal region for about two years in the mid-to-late 1780s. The engravings in his book, he writes, were made from drawings that were mostly done on the spot during his African residence (vol. 1, pp. v-vi).




Canoes, Senegal, 1780s

[img]http://hitchcock.itc.virginia.edu/SlaveTrade/collection/large/VILE-60.JPG[/img]

Source
René Claude Geoffroy de Villeneuve, L'Afrique, ou histoire, moeurs, usages et coutumes des africains: le Sénégal (Paris, 1814), vol. 3, facing p. 60. (Copy in Special Collections, University of Virginia Library)

Comments
Caption, "Piroques des Negres" (Canoes of the Blacks). Shows canoes, one with sails, and their paddlers; background, walled/fenced village. Villeneuve lived in the Senegal region for about two years in the mid-to-late 1780s. The engravings in his book, he writes, were made from drawings that were mostly done on the spot during his African residence (vol. 1, pp. v-vi).

These images from the NYPL Digital Collection are from the same source above (P.D. Boilat's 1853 book):


[img]http://images.nypl.org/index.php?id=1167963&t=w[/img]

"Homme et Femme Toucoulaures; Marabout faisant un Grigri."


[img]http://images.nypl.org/index.php?id=1222710&t=w[/img]

"Femmes Séréres."


http://digitalcollections.nypl.org/collections/esquisses-sngalaises-physionomie-du-pays-peuplades-commerce-religions-pass#/?tab=about&scroll=3

Clothing Style, Bambara Woman, Senegal, 1850s

[img]http://hitchcock.itc.virginia.edu/SlaveTrade/collection/large/Boilat15.JPG[/img]

Source
P. David Boilat, Esquisses Sengelaises (Paris, 1853), plate 24 (Special Collections, University of Virginia Library)

Comments
This portrait, the author writes (p. 31), is of a woman named Sira, who requested him to draw her. She is sitting on a woven grass mat and is wearing an elaborate silk gown, her holiday dress. An ornate kerchief or head-tie of Madras cloth is tied around her head, and her jewelry consists of large gold earrings, and several bracelets and anklets, in addition to a long necklace which ends in little straw rings that have been made with great care. She is also shown with cicatrisation/scarification marks are on her cheeks.

Clothing Style, Bambara Man, Senegal, 1850s

[img]http://hitchcock.itc.virginia.edu/SlaveTrade/collection/large/Boilat14.JPG[/img]

Source
P. David Boilat, Esquisses Sengelaises (Paris, 1853), plate 23 (Special Collections, University of Virginia Library)

Comments
The subject of this portrait, the author's occasional gardener, is wearing a typical Bambara hat made of straw, and has on Moroccan leather sandals; he carries a walking stick over his shoulder from which is dangling a basket with vegetables he is going to sell in the market; a knife is in his right hand. Although this man is shown with amulets (gris-gris) around his neck, the author points out that since the Bambara are not Muslims, these are simply ornaments and have no spiritual significance (pp. 29-31).

Clothing Style, Sarakole Woman, Senegal, 1850s

[img]http://hitchcock.itc.virginia.edu/SlaveTrade/collection/large/Boilat13.JPG[/img]

Source
P. David Boilat, Esquisses Sengelaises (Paris, 1853), plate 22 (Special Collections, University of Virginia Library)

Comments
Clothed in an elaborate indigo-dyed blue gown with turban or head-tie and a gauze veil ('which she made herself'), the woman is shown with an intricate long necklace of "coral and enormous amber" beads that hangs down to her chest. This outfit is worn on solemn occasions and the same type of dress, the author notes, is also found among the neighboring Toucouleur/Tukulor (p. 29). The author made his drawings from life; his 24 plates are explained in an accompanying text.

Clothing Style, Sarakole Man, Senegal, 1850s

[img]http://hitchcock.itc.virginia.edu/SlaveTrade/collection/large/Boilat12.JPG[/img]

Source
P. David Boilat, Esquisses Sengelaises (Paris, 1853), plate 21 (Special Collections, University of Virginia Library)

Comments
Full-robed and wearing sandals, the author claims this man represents a typical Sarakole (Soninke) man. The man's robe is dyed blue with indigo and is embroidered on the front and the back with designs in colored silk; he is also wearing a very handsome woven belt. Two gris-gris to protect him in war are worn over his chest. And in his hand he carries his "chapelet", which, according to Boilat (a Catholic priest), is "the muslim rosary composed of 100 beads, representing the 100 perfections of God." These people, he writes, "pay great attention to their hair, and their hair styles are quite artistically accomplished" (pp. 28-29). The author made his drawings from life; his 24 plates are explained in an accompanying text.

Toucouleur/Tukulor Marabout, Senegal, 1850s

[img]http://hitchcock.itc.virginia.edu/SlaveTrade/collection/large/Boilat11.JPG[/img]

Source
P. David Boilat, Esquisses Sengelaises (Paris, 1853), plate 19 (Special Collections, University of Virginia Library)

Comments
Captioned, "Toucoulaure, Grand Marabout du Foula" (The Chief Marabout of the Fula), he is shown seated on a chair in front of his thatched roof house made of reeds; the door, Boilat writes, is so low that one must bend over to enter. The man is wearing a cloth over his shoulder, while holding a key to his (storage) chest; his "nafa" (a small, flat leather purse or pouch used for carrying small goods, including money) is also hanging from his hand (pp. 26-27). The author made his drawings from life; his 24 plates are explained in an accompanying text.

Peule Woman, Senegal, 1850s

[img]http://hitchcock.itc.virginia.edu/SlaveTrade/collection/large/Boilat10.JPG[/img]

Source
P. David Boilat, Esquisses Sengelaises (Paris, 1853), plate 18 (Special Collections, University of Virginia Library)

Comments
The woman is shown bare chested, with bead necklaces and copper jewelry on her arms/wrists and ankles; a riverside village with canoes is in the background. "This woman," the author writes, "is as dressed up as a Peule woman can be; but all of her jewels are of copper" (p. 26). Boilat made his drawings from life; his 24 plates are explained in an accompanying text.

Clothing Style, Peule Man, Senegal, 1850s

[img]http://hitchcock.itc.virginia.edu/SlaveTrade/collection/large/Boilat09.JPG[/img]

Source
P. David Boilat, Esquisses Sengelaises (Paris, 1853), plate 17 (Special Collections, University of Virginia Library)

Comments
This Peule man is shown in his everyday dress. He is wearing a small blue cap, decorated with a plume of horsehair; his hair style includes a pomade of curdled milk/rennet ('lait caille') or white cheese. Around his neck are amulets (gris-gris) serving various protective functions, and crossed over his chest are other gris-gris to ward off bullets; he is also wearing a "grigri" on his right arm, while ornamental copper bracelets are worn on his left arm and right ankle. Slung from his waist is "coufa," a horn which contains powder, bullets, and smoking tobacco. A Peule, the author notes, never travels without his spear (pp. 25-26). Boilat made his drawings from life; his 24 plates are explained in an accompanying text.

Mandingo Marabout in Prayer, Senegal, 1850s

[img]http://hitchcock.itc.virginia.edu/SlaveTrade/collection/large/Boilat08.JPG[/img]

Source
P. David Boilat, Esquisses Sengelaises (Paris, 1853), plate 10 (Special Collections, University of Virginia Library)

Comments
The marabout, as a devout Muslim, is shown doing one of his five daily prayers. The small vessel in the left-hand corner of the picture is a "satala," containing water for washing himself before and after prayer (p. 17). In the background is the fort at St. Louis, flying the French flag.

Wolof Woman Carrying a Child, Senegal, 1850s

[img]http://hitchcock.itc.virginia.edu/SlaveTrade/collection/large/Boilat07.JPG[/img]

Source
P. David Boilat, Esquisses Sengelaises (Paris, 1853), plate 9 (Special Collections, University of Virginia Library)

Comments
The woman is shown with her infant strapped to her back, in classic African style; the author gives a rather lengthy description of how the infant is carried (p. 16). The woman wears bead jewelry and the child has an amulet around his neck.

Clothing Style, Wolof Merchant, Senegal, 1850s

[img]http://hitchcock.itc.virginia.edu/SlaveTrade/collection/large/Boilat06.JPG[/img]

Source
P. David Boilat, Esquisses Sengelaises (Paris, 1853), plate 8 (Special Collections, University of Virginia Library)

Comments
The man is shown in full and elaborate dress, carrying a walking stick and an amulet (gris-gris) around his neck. He is a "marchand de pagnes" ("pagnes" are long narrow strips of woven cotton). The merchant is carrying three samples of different types and prices; one on his head and the other two on each shoulder. Boilat writes that he encountered this man one day and requested permission to draw him which was readily given (p. 15); all of the author's drawings were made from life, and the 24 published plates are explained in an accompanying text.

Clothing Style, Mandingo Woman, Senegal, 1850s

[img]http://hitchcock.itc.virginia.edu/SlaveTrade/collection/large/Boilat05.JPG[/img]

Source
P. David Boilat, Esquisses Sengelaises (Paris, 1853), plate 7 (Special Collections, University of Virginia Library)

Comments
The woman is shown in full dress, with leather or bead bracelets and anklets; a large calabash or pottery bowl is in the foreground. The author writes (p. 14) that the woman is resting after having fetched water from a stream; in the background is the village of Toubaboukané. Boilat made his drawings from life; his 24 plates are explained in an accompanying text.

Clothing Style, A Wolof Soldier, Senegal, 1850s

[img]http://hitchcock.itc.virginia.edu/SlaveTrade/collection/large/Boilat04.JPG[/img]

Source
P. David Boilat, Esquisses Sengelaises (Paris, 1853), plate 6 (Special Collections, University of Virginia Library)

Comments
Captioned simply "Thiédo". A Thiedo was a Wolof soldier. He is pictured here seated on rocks near the town of Bakel, seen in the background. He is wearing a turban, with a gold (?) bracelet on one wrist, anklets, and a bead necklace and amulets (gris-gris) around his neck. The glass bottle contains brandy (eau de vie) given to him by a trader (pp. 12-14). Boilat made his drawings from life; his 24 plates are explained in an accompanying text.

Clothing Style, Wolof Queen, Senegal, 1850s

[img]http://hitchcock.itc.virginia.edu/SlaveTrade/collection/large/Boilat03.JPG[/img]

Source
P. David Boilat, Esquisses Sengelaises (Paris, 1853), plate 5 (Special Collections, University of Virginia Library)

Comments
Captioned, "Reine du Walo, Woloffe", shows Queen Ndeté-Yalla in her royal attire sitting on a mat covered bench, smoking a long-stemmed pipe. She wears a bead necklace and bracelets on both wrists, and a leather purse hangs from her neck. The author provides a lengthy description of his visit to the Queen: "we were presented to Her Majesty," he writes, "who received us graciously and spoke to us in a low voice" (pp. 10-12). Boilat made his drawings from life; his 24 plates are explained in an accompanying text. Walo was a pre-colonial Wolof state.

Clothing Style, Wolof Man, Senegal, 1850s

[img]http://hitchcock.itc.virginia.edu/SlaveTrade/collection/large/Boilat02.JPG[/img]

Source
P. David Boilat, Esquisses Sengelaises (Paris, 1853), plate 4 (Special Collections, University of Virginia Library)

Comments
Captioned, "Mari de la Reine du Walo" (Husband of the Queen of the Walo), the plate shows the "Marosso" or the Queen's husband, who was also the head general of the Walo army. He is in full regalia or formal attire, holding his rifle "of honor" and wearing various ornaments, including a bead necklace, earrings, anklets, and, on his left arm, "an enormous silver bracelet, the emblem of his office" (p. 9). Walo was a pre-colonial Wolof state. Boilat made his drawings from life; his 24 plates are explained in an accompanying text.

Clothing Style, Serer Man, Senegal, 1850s

[img]http://hitchcock.itc.virginia.edu/SlaveTrade/collection/large/Boilat01.JPG[/img]

Source
P. David Boilat, Esquisses Sengelaises (Paris, 1853), plate 2 (Special Collections, University of Virginia Library)

Comments
The bearded man, a talented weaver according to the author, is shown with an earring and what appears to be an amulet (gris-gris) hanging from his neck; he belonged to the kingdom of Sine, one of the pre-colonial Wolof states (pp. 7-8 ). Boilat made his drawings from life; his 24 plates are explained in an accompanying text. Born in Senegal of a French father and a bi-racial mother ('metisse signare'), Boilat left Senegal at around the age of 13, was educated in France and became ordained as a Catholic priest. He returned to Senegal in 1842, lived there for ten years as an educator and, after returning to France, completed his Esquisses Senegalaises; he also authored the first comprehensive grammar of the Wolof language. He died in France in 1901, at the age of 84.

Nigerian Dignitaries, 1841

[img]http://hitchcock.itc.virginia.edu/SlaveTrade/collection/large/Allen04.JPG[/img]

Source
William Allen, A Narrative of the Expedition sent by Her Majesty's Government to the River Niger, in 1841 (London, 1848), vol. 2, facing title page. (Copy in Special Collections, University of Virginia Library)

Comments
Caption, " A Palaver." This same image appears (facing p. 12) in Allen's Picturesque Views on the River Niger: sketched during Lander's last visit in 1832-33 (London, 1840). In Picturesque Views he describes the "Palaver" illustration as follows: "I have grouped together all the principal characters of whom I had individual sketches . . . . I witnessed such a scene... when the king of Attah sent a deputation to assure us [the British] of his friendly intentions . . . the figure in the center of the group is from a sketch of Abokko, the brother of the king of Attah."


[The "king of Attah" referred to above is the Attah of Igala.]

This image (and several of the images I will post afterward that follow it) and caption are from a University of Virginia webpage:


A Queen and Her Entourage, Central Nigeria, 1832-33

[img]http://hitchcock.itc.virginia.edu/SlaveTrade/collection/large/Allen08.JPG[/img]

Image Reference
Allen08

Source
William Allen, Picturesque views on the river Niger, sketched during Lander's last visit in 1832-33, by Commander William Allen (London, 1840), facing p. 16 (top). (Copy in Library of Congress, Rare Book/Special Collections)

Comments
Caption, "the morning call"; shows a local queen and her entourage calling on British visitors. Views of village with conical roofed houses; various male onlookers, some carrying spears. The king of this small kingdom afforded Allen and his companions lodging. The king's wife/Queen "did the very polite thing, by calling on us attended by her handmaidens. . . . Her hands and feet were deeply tinged with henna, and her lovely eyes with antimony. Her hair--thickly plastered with indigo--was enveloped in a sort of turban, and a country cloth encircled her waist with many graceful folds" (Allen, p. 16).

SirShymexx:


Bini legend, good to see you back on these sides lol.

Ijebu knight, thanks for the welcome.

I've been pretty busy but I'll be posting a bit in the culture section from time to time.

^

Another image of Benin City, from the same source, H. Ling Roth's book Great Benin (1903):



This illustration was published in the Illustrated London News on March 27th, 1897 (after the Punitive Expedition and the destruction of Benin City) and it was made by one H.C. Seppings Wright.

There are more important pictures (actual photographs) of 1890s Benin that I have come across recently, that I will post in the Benin art/architecture thread later. I may post some of them in this thread later as well.

This is disgraceful, but another thing I'm wondering is whether or not the person taking pictures made a serious attempt to get the wounded man some help.