Kingdom of Benin, Nigeria: a grandee riding on horseback with his attendants; the beheading of a criminal; the use of retractable roofs in houses. Engraving, 1777.

"When a great man goes abroad, he is attended by a number of servants, all of whom are armed, some with spears, others with long darts, and some with bows and arrows. He usually rides on horseback, and sits on the beast sideways, in the same manner the women do in England. One of his attendants holds an umbrella over his head to shelter him from rain, or the violent heat of the sun; and another goes before leading the horse. They use neither saddle or stirrups, and the only security of the rider consists in his resting the left hand on the shoulder of one of his attendants. The buildings in most of the towns in this kingdom are very spacious and lofty, but they are differently constructed, some of them being square, and others of an oblong form. The doors are made high but narrow, and the windows are few in number, and exceeding small. They are all made with a flat roof, on the top of which is a covering raised several feet, to keep off the heat of the sun; and here they frequently regale themselves, when they pay a visit to each other. … Punishments are inflicted on criminals in proportion to the nature of the offence. We have before observed that the Negroes here pay particular respect to foreigners; the injuring, therefore, of any European is confidered as a capital crime, and the punishment for such offence is thus executed: they take the offender, tie his hands behind his back, and blindfold him. After this the judge raises him up, so that his head hangs towards the ground, which the executioner cuts off with a hatchet ; and separating the body into four quarters, leaves it to be devoured by the wild beasts."--Middleton, loc. cit.