Frederick E. Forbes was a British naval officer who, in 1849-50, undertook two missions to the court of the King of Dahomey in an unsuccessful attempt to convince him to end involvement in the slave trade. Dahomey was a warlike kingdom that arose most likely in the second quarter of the 17th century and came to dominate its neighbors through its army, which included both men and women and was based on strict military discipline. This two-volume work reproduces Forbes’ journal and his account of his conversations with King Gezo. It includes descriptions of the customs and culture of the country and appendices containing vocabularies of the Vahie and Dahoman languages. Description and travel; Ewe language; Fon (African people); Fon dialect; Indigenous peoples; Slave trade