In
recent days, I have heard from slaves who work as porters in the market
at Begho about a place east of here called Benin. These slaves come from
a place called Gwato, a European post some 20 miles distant from Edo, the
capital of Benin. The slaves tell me that merchants in Gwato trade many
things, including peppers, cloth, and brass figures. These brass figures
are said to have come from a place called Ife and celebrate the power of
Benin's kings and the greatness of their kingdom.
The
leaders of Benin are very happy about the arrival of the Europeans, because
it gives them a new source for the copper that they need to make brass.
The Europeans, though, are not interested in trading their copper for
brass figures. No, they want slaves to sell for the gold they can get
at El Mina. And so every year the kings of Benin send hundreds of captives
to Gwato in order to trade with the Europeans.
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